XIANGFEN, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- No epidemic outbreaks have been reported since a landslide killed at least 254 people in the northern Shanxi province last week, said the head of the provincial health administration.

    According to Gao Guoshun, no illnesses or food poisoning cases had been reported, as of Monday, in or around the site of the mining dump collapse.

Rescue workers work on the ruins at the key spot of the mud-rock flow in Xiangfen County, Linfen City, north China's Shanxi Province, Sept. 15, 2008. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Photo Gallery>>>

    Almost 500 medical workers and health experts have been working on epidemic prevention measures in four townships, said Feng Lizhong, a disease-control official with the administration.

    The workers are helping people treat garbage, sanitize their houses and ensure water and food safety. Feng added, children and the elderly received vaccinations against infectious disease.

    Gao said such measures will continue for three months.

Rescue workers work on the ruins at the key spot of the mud-rock flow in Xiangfen County, Linfen City, north China's Shanxi Province, Sept. 15, 2008.(Xinhua/Yan Yan) Photo Gallery>>>

    The mud-rock flow occurred in Shanxi's Xiangfen county when a retaining wall of an unlicensed Tashan Mine crumbled on Sept. 8. Huge amounts of iron ore waste burst out, burying downstream residents along with a busy outdoor market.

    As of Saturday, rescuers found 254 bodies. The State Administration of Work Safety said Tuesday, 159 bodies had been identified.

    Thirty-four people remain in the hospital. Four critical patients had been upgraded to stable condition.

    An initial investigation found the mine collapse was due to negligence. The waste ore dump was built in violation of regulations and it had few safety inspections. Further investigation was underway by a State Council investigation team.

    In the meantime, the State Council, China's Cabinet, has ordered a nationwide safety check at similar production sites around the country to root out other potential problems.

Death toll in fatal landslide in N China rises to 258 

    XIANGFEN, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers retrieved four bodies at the site of a landslide in north China on Tuesday morning, pushing up the death toll in the tragedy to 258.

    Searching work was going on in Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province, where the mudflow burst out on Sept. 8 after the collapse of an iron ore dump. Huge amounts of ore waste, mud and rock flowed downward, burying downstream residents along with a busy outdoor market.

Search continues as 254 dead in N China mud-rock flow

    XIANGFEN, Shanxi, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers continued to search for the missing in last Monday's fatal mud-rock flow in north China's Shanxi Province that killed 254 people and injured 34 to date.

    No new bodies were found from 6 p.m. on Sunday to 6 p.m. on Monday. Rescuers were continuing to search in areas designated by the family members of the missing, according to Lian Zhendong, the rescue operation's chief.

Can gov't personnel reshuffle make Shanxi Province a safer place?

    BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A deadly landslide triggered by the collapse of an illegal mining dump has cost the jobs of a string of Party and government officials in Shanxi Province, with the latest casualty being Governor Meng Xuenong and Vice Governor Zhang Jianmin.

Tears, hopelessness accompanies mud-rock flow survivors over mid-Autumn Festival
 
    XIANGFEN, Shanxi, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Li Dengfeng, with his 4-year-old son in arms, sat desperately in the empty house, where the candle flickered beside the photo of his newly deceased wife.

    The 30-year-old man was in tears all day on Sunday, China's traditional mid-Autumn Festival, an occasion of family reunion.

China's Hu and Wen urge all-out efforts in rescue work of N China mud-rock flow 

    BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have urged all-out efforts in rescue operations following Monday's rain-triggered mud-rock flow in north China's Shanxi Province.

    The accident has led to a death toll of 128 by Wednesday, with another 35 injured. The number of people trapped underneath the rubble is still under investigation, local rescue headquarters said. Full story