Death toll after China landslide reaches 25

BEIJING

The death toll from a landslide that struck a village in rural China last week continued to rise Monday, with another nine corpses pulled from the rubble.

State news agency Xinhua reported that 25 people were now confirmed dead while another 12 remain missing.

Late night Friday, a torrent of earth and rocks buried 27 homes in Zhejiang Province in the country's east, while onrushing waters flooded a further 21.

Heavy rains are reported to have hampered rescue efforts, and also played their role in the slide.

Rescue work has continued ever since, with 2300 people now aiding efforts.

Xinhua said that teams of psychologists had also been sent to the region to counsel relatives of the victims.

Over 300 villagers have now been relocated.