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Death toll in fatal landslide rises to 258

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-16 15:06

XIANGFEN - Rescuers retrieved four more bodies from a landslide in north China on Tuesday morning, pushing the death toll in the September 8 tragedy to 258.

Three bodies were excavated from a collapsed house and the other was found in the debris outside, rescuers said.

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The four were men whose identities have not yet been established.

More than 300 rescuers and more than 30 pieces of machinery were being used in the search for other possible victims in the debris in Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province. A mudflow burst hit the area on the morning of September 8 after the collapse of an unlicensed iron ore dump.

A huge volume of tailings, mud and rock swamped a downstream village with more than 1,000 residents, burying people along with a busy outdoor market.

The State Administration of Work Safety said 159 bodies had been identified as of Tuesday.

Thirty-four people remained in the hospital and four patients who had been in critical condition were temporarily upgraded to stable condition.

Compensation of 200,000 yuan (nearly $29,300) will be paid for each victim, and each person who was disabled by the accident will get compensation ranging from 50,000 yuan to 150,000 yuan plus a monthly subsidy of 100 yuan to 300 yuan, according to disaster-relief policies released by the local government on Tuesday.

More than 400 local government officials have been dispatched to help the victims' families.

Cremations will start soon, as 115 families have signed the necessary  documents.

An initial investigation found the mine collapse was due to negligence.The tailings dump was built in violation of regulations and had few safety inspections.

Liu Xiangjuan, 48, was still waiting for information on her husband, who has been missing since the landslide.

Liu, a mother of two, was laid off years ago and her husband was the sole support of the family.

"Those responsible for the accident must be severely punished, especially officials who connived with the mine owners, leading to the deaths of so many innocent people," said Liu.

A 47-year-old man, who only gave his surname as Shi, said officials should determine the cause of the collapse and those responsible for it as soon as possible.

Shi lost his brother in the landslide and the fate of four of his other relatives remained unknown.

An investigation was under way by a State Council (cabinet) investigation team. The government has ordered a nationwide safety check at such sites for potential problems.