Rescuers are still searching for 27 construction workers missing in southwestern China's flash flood, said the local rescue headquarters on Saturday.

Eight other workers were confirmed dead on Friday.

Flash flood triggered by torrential rain at 3 AM Thursday swept away several work sheds near a highway construction site in Lengquan Township, Mengzi County, the Hani-Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Honghe.

The missing workers have little chance to survive, said Li Xiaosheng, spokesman for the rescue headquarters, adding that they could not rule out that some of the missing might have gone for a local Torch Festival held on Wednesday.

"The floods submerged our sheds in seconds, with water three meters deep, and swept them away, "said survivor Song Zengjin, whose 32-year-old nephew is among the missing.

Li said the rescuers recovered a defaced body one kilometer from the construction site, but they failed to tell whether it was one of the missing workers.

Roads destruction hindered the rescue operation as more than 1,000 people were busy searching for the missing within 14 kilometers from the site, Li said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2006)