China steps up disaster prevention work in Zhouqu after massive landslide
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China will invest 1 billion yuan (150.2 million U.S. dollars) to prevent geological disasters in Zhouqu County in northwest China's Gansu Province, after a massive landslide left more than 1,500 people dead in August.
More than 800 million yuan will be used in areas with hidden risks of geological disaster. Over 100 million yuan will be used to establish agencies and buy equipment for precautions of possible disasters, said Shi Huaxiong, head of Gannan's Land and Resources Bureau, on Sunday.
A team of 210 experts have been identifying geological hazards in Zhouqu since mid-September. Their work is nearly complete and the experts are working on construction designs to prevent disasters. All prevention work is expected to be completed by 2012, Shi added.
Zhouqu in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan is prone to landslides and other geological disasters as it lies on the mountainous eastern end of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A landslide devastated the county on Aug. 8, leaving 1,510 dead and 255 missing.
