4 saved from NW China landslide

At least 26 people remain missing after a landslide in China’s northwest Shaanxi province.

The landslide, which occurred at around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, brought 1 million cubic meters of earth that buried 15 dorms and three houses at the Wuzhou mining company in Shanyang County, leaving around 40 people missing. The survivors were were taken to the hospital where they were reported to be in a stable condition.

Lou Qinjian, governor of Shaanxi province, and his deputy, Zhang Changxing, had both rushed to the scene to help with the rescue efforts, Cnwest.com reported.

Xi urged full efforts to search for and rescue the missing and minimize casualties.

Shanyang officials said the authorities were alerted to the landslide at 01:47 local time (17:47 GMT on Tuesday).

Accidents in Chinese coal mines killed 931 people last year, a top work safety official said in March.

The country is also prone to landslides, often caused by floods but with lax management of industrial sites sometimes a factor.