All the 14 families hit by the landslide, which occurred on Saturday in Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, were supplied with provisional houses and 20,000 yuan (2,409 US dollars) for each household, according to rescue officials.

Rescue underway for landslide victims in Chongqing

Heavy rains over the past few days led to mountain torrents that collapsed, at 1:50 p.m. Saturday, part of a local hill and a coal gangue deposit of the local Nantong Coalmine Bureau in Xinhua Village of Wandong Town of Wansheng District.

And rubbles from the hill and gangue deposit, about 200,000 cubic meters in total, slid 500 meters far and buried 24 farmers from 14 homes nearby.

By Sunday, the death toll in the landslide rose to five, with 16 others still missing. And the three injured have been out of danger.

Rescue underway for landslide victims in Chongqing

So far, 15 working teams have been set up to resolve the problems faced by the victims, including supplying enough food and accommodation for the affected farmers along with their family members, and arranging funerals for the dead.

At the same time the local people had reinforced a temporary embankment to prevent further danger, which is under close watch by a provisional monitoring station.

The government of Chongqing has also ordered a thorough check of landslide-prone areas across the city, especially in Wansheng District where the tragedy occurred.

Source: Xinhua