First death confirmed as 80 remain missing in south China's landslide

(CHINADAILY)Nearly3,000rescueworkerswereracingagainsttimeonMondaytosearchfordozensofpeoplemissingafterSunday'slandslideatanindustrialparkinShenzhen,Guangdongprovince.

Ataround6amTuesday,thefirstbodywasrecoveredfromthelandslidesite,XinhuaNewsAgencycitedrescueheadquartersassaying.

ByearlymorningTuesday,thenumberofmissinginthedisasterinGuangmingNewDistrictwasreducedto80from85,ShenzhenSpecialZoneDailycitedgovernmentofficialsassaying.

Trucksandexcavatorswereworkingatthescene,whilemanyofthoseaffectedwaitedsomedistanceaway,hopingtoreturntotheirhomestoretrievesomevaluablesiftheyhadnotbeendestroyed.

Theindustrialparkhasbeensealedoff,leavingtheremainingfactorybuildingsandshopsalmostempty,exceptforsomefirefightersandotherrescueworkers,whowererestingafterspendingnearlythewholenightonrescuework.

LiuGuonan,ageotechnicalexpertattheChinaAcademyofRailwaySciences,saidthelandslidewasthelargesthehadseen,adding,"Themudisdeep,makingitdifficultforworkersandvehiclestogetthrough."

Rescueworkwascontinuingatsixsitessimultaneously.Signsofsurvivorshadbeendetectedatonesite,saidLaiXiaolian,deputychiefoftheShenzhenFirefightingDepartmentCommand.

Laisaidtherescueworkisverydifficultbecausethedisasterinvolves"morethanalandslide",beingamixofmudflows,landslidesandcollapsedbuildings.

Survivorshavebeensettledintemporaryshelters,includingagym,wheremorethan100workersfromafactoryintheindustrialparkwerehoused.

OneworkerrecalledthemomentonSundaywhenthelandslidehit.

"Suddenly,thelightsinourfactorywentout,andweallranouttoseewhathadhappened",hesaid."Wesawthelandslide....Ithadengulfedpowerlines,andtherewasalsoredsmoke."

GaoZhen,deputygeneralmanagerofoneofthefactories,saidallhisworkersfledtosafetyunharmed.Thefactorymanufacturesautomaticindustrialequipment,includingrobots.Gaosaidthehillwherethelandslideoccurredhadbecomeadumpsiteforwastesoil."Earthwaspileduponthehillwithoutanyreinforcementmeasures,"hesaid.

HesaidproductionatmanyfactorieshadbeeninfullswingasSpringFestivalapproachesinFebruary.

Thelandslidecoveredanareaof380,000squaremeterswithearth10metersdeep,authoritiessaid.

Seventrappedpeoplehadbeenrescued,theShenzhengovernmentsaid.Atleast16peoplewerehospitalized,XinhuaNewsAgencyreported.

TheStateCouncilhassentateamofseniorofficialsandexpertstoShenzhentooverseerescuework.StateCouncilorWangYongisleadingtheteam.