CRI听力:Rescue Underway for Fresh Landslide in Yunnan

Rescuers searching for survivors are coping with fresh landslides and aftershocks near the quake epicenter in southwestern China's Yunnan province.

The 72 hour optimum-rescue period has passed and finding survivors is becoming much less likely.

CRI's Su Yi has more.

Reporter:
Rescue efforts are underway at a new site in Longtoushan, where 55 people and 20 vehicles are believed buried under a landslide.

168 firefighters are on the site in Ganjiazhai, searching for survivors.

So far, 8 bodies have been retrieved from the mud.

As of Wednesday, the death toll of the deadly earthquake has risen sharply to 589.

Local authorities say the increase is due to rescuers finally arriving in areas that were previously inaccessible.

CRI's correspondent in the quake zone, Shen Shi, says the fragile structure of local houses is a major reason of the high death toll.

"Some villagers told me that most of the houses here are made of wood and mud, which are of low quake-resistances. But some newer houses were built with steel and concrete, most of which did not collapse in this earthquake. "

Rescuers are continuing to comb through the rubble looking for survivors, although the 72 hour optimum-rescue period has passed.

Downpours and traffic disruptions have put acute time pressure on the rescue work.

Rescuers are trying to clear debris and huge rocks from the road so as to deliver large machinery to the epicenter.

Miao Chengxiang is the chief of staff of the No.1 Armed Police Traffic Corps.

"We have used excavators to open a new road in the upper part of the road and will expand it. We plan to open it by tomorrow morning so as to allow the rescue team's excavators to pass."

So far 21 sanitizing vehicles have entered Longtoushan, which allow medical staff to start disinfect ruins to prevent epidemic outbreaks.

Ruan Lin is the director of Ludian County's disease control center.

"We inspect infectious diseases everyday. We established medical centers almost everywhere to see if there is fever or diarrhea patient. If there is we will investigate immediately. So far we have not detected any epidemic outbreaks."

Meanwhile, near the border of Ludian County, 4,200 residents have evacuated as the water level continues to rise in a lake formed by landslides.

The lake has already flooded about 370 homes.

Local authorities say the army plans to use about 2 tones of dynamite to blow up the blockage that formed the lake.

The quake also damaged 280 km of water pipes and facilities in the region, cutting off supply to over 300,000 people.

Local water plants are providing 50,000 liters of bottled water every day as workers try to repair the pipelines.

Authorities say an emergency water distribution network is now ready for operation.

National meteorological center says that rainfall is expected in the quake-hit regions in next three days.

Strong aftershocks ranging from 5 to 6 magnitudes are also forecasted in the coming days.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.