More than 40 houses were submerged after a landslide on the banks of the Yangtze River's Heishazhou section in the eastern province of Anhui, local authorities said on Thursday, but no casualties were reported.

The landslide took place in Wuwei County on Saturday, when an area 400 meters long and 200 meters wide collapsed, carrying 48 homes into the water.

More than 70 households had to be evacuated and the county government earmarked 100,000 yuan (about 14,700 U.S. dollars) for disaster relief.

The cause of the landslide hasn't been determined. According to local sources, landslides on the bank could be triggered by changing water levels or construction nearby. Smaller landslides have occurred in the past few years.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2008)