Rain hampers China landslide rescue effort

As much as 90mm (3.5in) of rain was forecast for Friday, the National Meteorological Centre reported.

Thunderstorms overnight triggered mudslides that swept away six houses in a village near Zhouqu town, leaving three people missing.

The number of confirmed dead stands at 1,117, with more than 600 missing.

Rescue team leader, Cao Yimin, said they would not give up looking for survivors: “Our first priority is to save everyone that we can, if there is just a glimmer of hope, then we will not give up on the possibility.”

One man who was trapped in the upper floor of a building was rescued late on Wednesday.

The BBC’s Chris Hogg, who recently visited Zhouqu, says the rains have made the mud more unstable and the authorities face a dilemma: should they continue the search for survivors or concentrate on clearing the debris?

The continuing rain means that unless the sludge is cleared quickly there is risk of further disaster, our correspondent says.