Rescuers retrieved four more bodies from a landslide in north China on Tuesday morning, pushing the death toll in the Sept. 8 tragedy to 258.
Three bodies were excavated from a collapsed house and the other was found in the debris outside, rescuers said.
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 Sept. 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 U.S. dollars) will be paid for each victim, and each person who was disabled by the accident will get compensation ranging from 50,000 yuan to 150,000yuan plus a monthly subsidy of 100 yuan to 300 yuan, according to disaster-relief policies released by the local government on Tuesday.
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. An investigation was under way by a State Council (cabinet) investigation team.
The Council has ordered a nationwide safety check at such sites for potential problems.
Source:Xinhua
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