Rescuers retrieve 4 more bodies in N China quarry, 6 still missing

TIANJIN, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers recovered four more bodies at a landslide in a Jixian County quarry in the northern Chinese municipality of Tianjin where as many as 11 people were believed to have been buried, local government sources said Monday night.

By 10 p.m., the number of confirmed dead had risen to five. Rescuers earlier found one body Monday morning.

Two of the five dead were excavated from buried work sheds at the site. The others were found amongst the rubble.

According to rescue officials, there was probably six others under the debris, while another person remained missing.

There were eight work sheds buried in the slide, rescue officials said.

Fire engines and ambulances were on standby at the scene and more than 200 rescuers were taking shifts digging into the rubble.

The landslide occurred at 9 a.m. Sunday at Xiwubaihu Quarry in Baijian Town.

The trapped were believed to have been buried deep below ground, the sources said, adding there might be more than 10 kilograms of explosives also under the rubble. This had made the operation more difficult and dangerous.

Local officials said the accident was the result of a natural landslide. Five other nearby quarries were closed for safety reasons.