TAIYUAN: Fifty-six people have been confirmed dead and hundreds more are still missing following the collapse on Monday of a reservoir containing waste from an iron ore mine in Xiangfen, Shanxi province, media reported yesterday.
Ding Wenlu, head of the rescue headquarters, was quoted by the Xinhua News Agency as saying that 35 people have so far been reported injured by the subsequent mudslide, which was triggered by heavy rains.
More than 1,100 police, firefighters and local residents are helping with the rescue effort, but the rough terrain, poor telecommunications and continuous rainfall are hampering their work, he said.
The mud-rock flow also destroyed a three-story office building, a market and several houses, Xinhua said.
China Central Television reported yesterday that "several hundred" people were still missing, although Xinhua said the number had yet to be determined.
"We're busy trying to rescue people, but it's very hard work with all the mud and rocks," Hu Yanzai, Party secretary of the village of Chongshi, which is close to the site, said.
"It's hard to estimate how many people have been killed, but I would estimate at least a hundred. It's a big area," he said.
"Eyewitnesses said the mudflow roared down the valley and washed away the market and houses in a few minutes," the Xinhua report said.
Senior officials from the central government are also on site to help with the effort.
Wang Dexue, deputy head of the State Administration of Work Safety, said: "Our preliminary investigations have found the collapse was caused by illegal operators discharging waste sand into a mine tailings dam.
"When the dam reached its capacity, it burst. Heavy rain accelerated the process," he said.
Police have detained the mine owner and eight others, Xinhua said.
Pictures taken at the scene show overturned vehicles covered in a sticky sludge and parts of houses buried under several meters of dark mud.
Rescuers are using excavators and even their hands to search through the debris, Xinhua said.
The country's mining industry killed nearly 3,800 people last year, as high demand for raw materials on the back of an economic boom pushes managers to cut corners to boost output.
Strong iron ore prices and China's desire to limit its dependence on imports have allowed miners to dig up even very low-grade deposits, often with little regard for safety or environmental measures.
Source: China Daily
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