The death toll from a massive landslide in Chongqing in southwestern China has been tallied at 51.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 31st, the cumulative number of confirmed deaths from the landslide that swept through the Fengdu County area at around 9 a.m. on the 17th had reached 51 as of the previous day.
At the time of the natural disaster, 10 dwellings and a bus carrying numerous passengers were buried under the sudden deluge of earth, causing major damage.
Fengdu County authorities have completed a preliminary survey of the affected area exposed on the surface. They are now concentrating resources on an underwater search in the river directly in front of the site where the earth mass slid down to find the missing.
Rescue operations also continue to search for 10 missing people whose status remains unconfirmed.
About 1,100 people, including local residents, were urgently evacuated to safe areas because of the disaster. Of the 10 people who survived at the scene, three have finished hospital treatment and returned home.
Authorities have so far deployed more than about 2,300 pieces of heavy equipment and relief supplies to the site and have been conducting around-the-clock searches for 325 hours.