35 Killed in landslide in China's Xinjiang province

At least thirty five people were killed after a massive landslide swept through a village in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, officials said today.

The landslide hit the village located near Kokyar Township in Yecheng County of Kashga in Xinjiang province Wednesday and the death toll was confirmed at 35, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The rescue operation is still underway, it said. The mudslide also cut off electricity and telecommunications in the remote village, the report saidAs the village, deep in the Kunlun Mountains, has lost contact with the outside, rescuers had to ride donkeys or walk to the site, according to the region’s publicity office.

The rain-triggered landslide struck the village on Wednesday, burying houses and their occupants. The flow of the mud flow hit nearly 1,500 cubic meters per second.The village is about 170 km from the county seat. Kashgar is 1,500 km southwest of the regional capital of Urumqi.