Death toll rises to 20 in SW China landslide

KUNMING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a landslide in southwest
China's Yunnan Province rose to 20 Wednesday as the last five bodies were
recovered, local government sources said.

Two people earlier believed missing have been found as they were not at the
scene when the landslide occurred at 12:40 p.m. Sunday at Xiaoba Village, Weixin
County of Zhaotong, after almost four days of torrential rain.

The landslide destroyed two buildings of the Huajiaba Coal Mine at the
site. Two injured people were in stable condition in hospital.

The four-day search concluded in the late afternoon, Tang Guoqian, head of
the county publicity department, told reporters.

Each family of the victims would get 250,000 yuan (36,500 U.S. dollars) in
compensation, Tang added. The victims were coal mine managers and miners from
Zhaotong, which administers Weixin, and from Sichuan Province and Chongqing
Municipality.

Local government officials said the landslide was the result ofunsafe
quarry production.

Another landslide occurred an hour earlier in Linfeng Township, Weixin
County, killing four passers-by.