As of 9:00 PM Saturday, rescuers unearthed the bodies of three villagers trapped in a landslide in Huaxian County, Shaanxi Province. The whereabouts of nine others, also trapped, are still unknown, with the outlook looking grimmer as time passes.

The local government source said the landslide happened at 9:30 AM on Friday in Gaolou Village leaving 13 people buried and almost 100 houses destroyed.

More than 600 people were organized to rescue the missing people, with early success being met as a child was rescued at 8 AM Saturday, said Li Tangtang, vice governor of Shaanxi who is organizing the rescue operation.

More than 55,000 cubic meters of mud and rocks need to be cleared, but excavators can not be used due to limited workable space at the site, posing great difficulties for the rescue operation.

Villagers living nearby have all been evacuated and all those made homeless were relocated and provided with rations, said the official, adding that the rescue operation is still ongoing.

(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2006)