First lives saved in Chinese landslide rescue effort

First lives saved in Chinese landslide rescue effort
By Robert Hackwill

A family of three has been saved from the ruins of Xinmo village in Sichuan, China, but nearly 120 people remain trapped underground after a landslide.

In the race against time in southwest China to save the lives of some 120 people, rescuers are starting to win victories.

A landslide swept into the village of Xinmo in Sichuan, burying some 60 homes and a hotel, but an entire family of three has been
pulled out of the debris. Rescuers are now trying to reach the other buried people. Many were also injured.

“We heard a strange noise at the back of our house, and it was a bit loud. Wind was blowing into
the room so I wanted to close the door. When we came out, water flow washed us away instantly,” said survivor Qiao Dashuai.

The slide took out 1.6 kilometres of road and a two kilometre stretch of river with a mixture of rocks, mud and water as
a high mountain face failed and crashed into the valley floor. Many power lines are also cut.

Traffic police have deployed 130 units as a human chain to Chengdu, 400 kilometres away, to assist in the relief effort.

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