Rescue continues as east China landslide kills 21

Rescue and relief work are still under way as the death toll from an east China landslide has risen to 21, with 16 people still missing, as of Sunday night.

Only one person has been rescued so far after the landslide hit Lidong Village of Yaxi Township in Liandu District of Lishui City, Zhejiang Province at around 10:50 p.m. on Friday.

Four bodies are yet to be identified.

A total of 58 villagers have been relocated. Over 400 volunteers divided into 18 teams are providing services at the resettlement camp.

According to Yang Xiuqing, head of Liandu District, a team of 35 professional psychologists have been providing psychological intervention for the family members of the victims.

Torrents of mud and rocks buried 27 homes in the village, with 21 houses flooded. The local government has dispatched 52 teams composed of more than 620 people to investigate the site in case of any further disasters.

Mao Zirong, Lishui's standing deputy mayor, said the large amount of mud has formed a small barrier lake at the site, hampering rescue efforts.

Manual-digging often replaces machine excavation as the searching for survivors is still the priority, Mao explained.

The city government said in a press release that more than 2,300 rescuers, along with 7 sniffer dogs, over 60 large machineries and 50 aid vehicles are helping with rescue work.

About 200 people from 10 professional civil rescue teams have also rushed to the site from both Lishui and neighboring cities to participate in the rescue work.