7 killed, 57 missing after landslide hits China's Shaanxi province

SHANGLUO, China, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A landslide at a mining camp in China's Shaanxi province claimed the lives of at least seven people, while 57 remain missing, according to Chinese media.

The incident occurred early Wednesday at a vanadium mine near the city of Shanglou, in Shanyang County.

Xinhua news agency, quoting local rescue workers, reported the bodies of the deceased had been recovered from the site on Sunday, the first being found in a buried truck late in the day.

Dormitories and three houses at the camp had been swallowed by debris, and 10 people managed to escape unaided. Rescue workers pulled another four to safety, but search efforts have been hampered by the large volume of mud and rubble, as well as the risk of follow-on landslides.

Residents in the region reportedly expressed previous concern about the potential impacts of mining on the local environment.

The disaster occurred the same day a chemical explosion in Tianjin killed more than 100 people and injured more than 700 last week.