China mudslides kill 1,270 people

BEIJING - The toll in mudslides in China’s northwestern Zhouqu county rose to 1,270 Tuesday even as the region crawled back to normalcy, Xinhua reported.

Some 474 people are still missing, but life is slowly returning to normalcy, officials said. Mudslides hit the county in Gansu province Aug 8.

“People have calmed down a lot. At first, they never responded when I asked them to drink or eat. Their instinctive needs were taken away by sudden tragedy.

“Now people come to me and ask for bottled water,” China Daily quoted a volunteer as saying.

“I didn’t hear any loud cries on streets in last two days, and clothes and shoes people wear are much cleaner,” said Wang Jianghong, coordinator of disaster-relief work.

He added demand for water for purposes other than drinking was, however, still to be met.

People were given herbal tea to prevent indigestion, said Zhao Xiaoqing, director of Zhouqu women and children healthcare centre.

To prevent epidemics, sterilisation teams are disinfecting tents, toilets and garbage dumps in the county, a relief worker said.

A police official added: “Public order is good here, despite some minor conflicts while distributing goods.”