Nearly 130 dead, 1,300 missing in Gansu mudslide

Mudslides in Gansu province have killed at least 127 people and left nearly 1,300 missing, state media reported. The mudslides were caused by torrential rains beginning Saturday. Premier Wen Jiabao traveled to Zhouqu county, the worst-hit area, to oversee rescue efforts, though the mudslide and flooding have prevented excavators from reaching the mudslide site. Further rains forecast for the next several days are also expected to complicate relief efforts. About 45,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas; the county’s total population is 134,700.