42 bodies pulled from landslide in SW China, 57 still missing with no signs of life detected

42 bodies recovered from landslide in SW China

BEIJING — Rescuers pulled 42 bodies from a landslide in southwest China, and 57 people remained missing nearly a week after the disaster with no signs of life detected, the Xinhua News Agency said Sunday.

More than 700 rescuers and 26 excavators were digging at the site of the landslide in Dazhai village of Guizhou province, Xinhua said. Homes were buried on June 28 when nearly half a hill apparently collapsed after days of torrential rain.

The landslide is about 120 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Guiyang, the provincial capital.

So far there have been no signs of life, Xinhua cited search team chief Pu Jianjiang as saying. Authorities originally reported more than 100 people trapped by the landslide, but now say there were 99.

Workers were also shoring up buildings and relocating 2,500 people from 25 other sites in the area that were at risk of landslides, Xinhua said.

Southern China was pummeled by summer storms last month, with 266 people killed by flooding and other weather-related causes, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said. Nearly 200 people remained missing from the storms that forced 3.8 million people from their homes.