SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS: Rescuers comb the scene for traces of life (PENG NIAN)

Torrential rain in the preceding week soaked the wind-eroded mudstone rocks, causing them to bulge and crack, said Yang Shengyuan, head of Guizhou Geological Environment Monitoring Institute.

June is the peak time for natural disasters as flood season arrives throughout China. This year, the average precipitation in China's southwestern mountainous regions is 10 to 20 percent more than last year, and torrential rains have led to more disasters, said Yin Yueping, Deputy Chief Engineer at the China Geological Survey.

Statistics from the Ministry of Land and Resources show 2,444 landslides occurred last month, 72 percent of the total geological disasters that month.

As many geological disasters happen in remote rural and mountainous areas, it is very difficult to monitor them and issue early warnings, Yin said. The landslide that struck Dazhai Village was not in an area covered by the national geological monitoring network.

Rescue underway

The rescue team, consisting of armed police officers, firefighters and local civilians, started the rescue as soon as they could. An emergency rescue headquarters had been set up.

RESCUE: Bulldozers at the scene of the landslide in Dazhai Village on June 29 (YANG YING)

Premier Wen Jiabao ordered local governments to make all-out efforts to rescue villagers. Vice Premier Hui Liangyu arrived at the scene to guide the rescue work. He said every effort should be made to save lives, resettle displaced villagers and prevent future geological disasters and secondary disasters. Hui also said that a blanket search should be carried out to detect geological hazardous spots, and endangered people should be rapidly evacuated to minimize casualties.

The China National Committee for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs activated emergency response plans after the incident. On June 29 experts from the Ministry of Land and Resources arrived at the scene to conduct onsite study.

The rescue work was confronted with several difficulties, local officials said. The rain continued, and more landslides and mudflows threatened to occur at any time. Although dozens of bulldozers were sent to the scene, they could not work at the same time due to the treacherous geographical conditions. The mud was soft, making it dangerous for large machines to operate on it. Experts at the site told Xinhua that the chance of finding survivors was slim.

The local government provided tents, food and drinking water for the villagers who were evacuated from the area. A temporary Red Cross emergency aid station was also set up to treat any injured or sick villagers.

By June 29, 222 tents, 1,000 quilts and 150 beds and 2 tons of food had been sent to the area. Enterprises in Guizhou donated money, while neighboring Liupanshui City also dispatched 22 ambulances and 84 rescue workers to the area.