Rescue operations have been called off for two people missing
after a landslide at a quarry in east China's Anhui Province on Saturday had claimed the
lives of four others, said the province's top safety official.
"Rescue operations had to be suspended after another landslide
hit the quarry at 2PM on Sunday," said Cheng Chuanru, director of
the Anhui Provincial Administration of Work Safety. "There's little
hope for the two missing people."
The accident occurred at about 4PM on Saturday at a quarry run
by the Antai Gravel Co. Ltd. in Shushan Town of Wuwei County,
burying seven workers. Four were confirmed dead on Saturday night
and another was being treated for injuries. Cheng said his team
would attempt to recover bodies after geologists approved a safe
approach.
More than 10,000 cubic meters of rock and mud slid off Wulong
mountain as a result of recent rainstorms, said Cheng. He explained
that more than 300 people had assisted with the rescue
operation.
Initial investigations show the quarry did not have a safety
certificate but was in the process of getting one when the accident
occurred.
(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2006)