国内英语新闻：Official dismisses "hundreds missing" claim in N China mud-rock flow

TAIYUAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers on Thursday had finished searching more than half the mud-covered areas in north China after a mud-rock slide left 128 people dead.

    Shanxi Provincial Government Secretary-General Wang Qingxian said about 60 percent of the area had been combed. Altogether 2,000-plus rescuers, with the aid of more than 110 excavators, were searching for survivors.

    He said Internet claims that hundreds of people were missing was mere speculation.

    "The specific figure of the people missing in the disaster has not been established yet," said Wang at a news conference. "We are still evaluating the situation."

    He promised timely and transparent updated casualty numbers, adding 36 people had suffered injuries.

    If the weather conditions allowed, searchers would finish looking for survivors in three to five days, he said.

    Relatives of the dead will get 200,000 yuan (29,215 U.S. dollars) each as compensation, according to the provincial government.

    The State Council, China's Cabinet, has set up an accident investigation team, including officials from the State Administration of Work Safety, Shanxi provincial government, Supervision Ministry, Land and Resources Ministry and All China Federation of Trade Unions. Wang Jun, the State Administration of Work Safety director, was heading the team.

    The government has begun examinations to more than 700 tailing ponds in the province to avoid similar accidents from happening again.

    There was no epidemic at the area and the injured were receiving treatment, said Gao Guoshun, the provincial health department head, at the news conference.

    The water there was not polluted after examination, Gao added.

    The disaster happened when the bank of a pond holding waste oredregs of an unlicensed mine burst.

    Some reports said hundreds were feared to have been buried underneath the mud, but the local government had released no figures concerning the number of missing.

    Wang Qingxian said the mine was purchased and transferred to a man named Zhang Peiliang when the local government auctioned it off in 2005.

    But Zhang did not apply for new licenses after its safety production license was suspended in 2006 and the mining license expired in 2007.

    "It was an accident of grave responsibility after initial analysis," said Wang Dianxue, the State Administration of Work Safety deputy head and also the investigation team deputy head.

    The accident occurred around 8 a.m. on Monday in a pond holding waste ore dregs of the Tashan Mine in Xiangfen County, Linfen City, which was soaked by torrential rain.

    In total, an area of 30.2 hectares was covered by the mud. The mud-rock flow damaged buildings, trade markets and some residences lying downstream.