China landslide toll rises to 254

BEIJING, Sept 13, 2008 (AFP) - The death toll from a landslide that engulfed a northern Chinese town jumped to 254 today with the discovery of dozens more bodies, state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing local authorities.

State media on Thursday had quoted Minister of Work Safety Wang Jun saying “several hundred” people were thought still buried in the mud that swamped the town of Taoshi after a mining waste reservoir burst its banks on Monday.