Mudslide kills up to 22 in northeast China
( 2001-08-08 11:56 ) (1 )

A mudslide has killed up to 22 people in northeastern China, including eight who had been missing for three days and were now presumed dead, a local official said on Wednesday.

Fourteen bodies had been recovered after the mudslide, which hit the mountain town of Xiamatang in the province of Liaoning after heavy rain on Sunday, and eight people were still missing, he said.

"We believe they're all dead. We have given up hope," the official with the Flood Control Office at Benxi, 50 km (30 miles) south of the provincial capital of Shenyang, told reporters.

Three of those missing were gold miners trapped and believed drowned by the mudslide, which followed eight hours of torrential rain.

The rest were in Xiamatang when the mudslide swept away some 60 houses and cut communications.

Deforestation and soil erosion have made many Chinese mountain areas increasingly susceptible to landslides and flash floods, which kill hundreds of people each year.

The government is trying to reverse the trend by banning logging in vulnerable areas and encouraging tree planting.