N China mud-rock flow death toll rises to 128

Rescuers search for survivors in houses hit by mud-rock flow at the Tashan Mine in Xiangfen County under Linfen City of north China's Shanxi Province. Eight more deaths were reported Tuesday morning in north China's Shanxi Province, bringing the death toll from the rain-triggered mud-rock flow that caused the collapse of a warehouse to 34. (Xinhua Photo)

Rescuers search for survivors in houses hit by mud-rock flow at the Tashan Mine in Xiangfen County under Linfen City of north China's Shanxi Province. (Xinhua Photo)

TAIYUAN, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a rain-triggered mud-rock flow in north China's Shanxi Province rose to 128 as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the local rescue headquarters said.

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.

An initial investigation revealed the accident's cause was "the unlicensed Tashan mine operated illegally and the stored waste iron ore dregs had surpassed the capacity of the holding pond," said the rescue headquarters.

The State Council, or China's Cabinet, is going to start investigation into the cause of the accident.

Rescue work is under way and the specific number of people trapped underneath the rubble is still under investigation.