51 feared dead in Chinese landslide

Hopes were fading today for 51 people missing in western China after a landslide was set off by torrential rains, officials said.

Meanwhile, more than 1.6 million people who escaped flooding in the east of the country were living in temporary shelters.

Rescuers have found no sign of the missing people since the mudslide hit remote Danba county in Sichuan province before dawn on Saturday.

“The chances of finding them alive are very slim,” said a spokeswoman.

More than 500 people have been killed by floods, landslides and other disasters triggered by rains since the beginning of this year.

More than 1.6 million people have been evacuated from low lying areas along the swollen Huai River in the eastern provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu.