An early investigation has found that the landslide that took place in Wulong County of Chongqing on Tuesday is a geological disaster.
A special working team consisting of officials from four departments of the State Council, including the ministries of land and resources, civil affairs and construction, reached this conclusion after a three-day investigation at the site.
The landslide buried a nine-storey residential building. A total of 74 people have been confirmed dead.
The rescue work is expected to be finished Friday morning. It is estimated that about 76 people were buried in the rubble.
Hundreds of armed police, the People's Liberation Army soldiers and local residents joined the rescue efforts. They have dug up 10,000 cubic meters of the estimated 12,000 cubic meters of rocks and earth from the landslide.
(China Daily 05/04/2001)
