Official dismisses claims of "hundreds missing" in north China mud- rock flow

Official dismisses claims of "hundreds missing" in north Chinamud-rock flow

TAIYUAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior official in north China onThursday moved to quash Internet claims that "hundreds" of peopleare missing after a mud-rock flow that has officially left 128 deadso far.

Shanxi Provincial Government secretary-general Wang Qingxian saidthe number of people missing in the disaster was yet to beconfirmed, and dismissed the Internet claims as "mere speculation".

"The specific figure of the people missing in the disaster hasnot been established yet," said Wang at a news conference. "We arestill evaluating the situation."

Wang also promised timely updates of the casualty numbers with"openness and transparency".

He said rescuers had sped up their work with "all-out efforts"."The search, if the weather conditions allow, is expected to finishin three to five days."

The disaster happened when the bank of a pond holding waste oredregs of an unlicensed mine burst, leaving 128 dead and 35 injuredas of Wednesday.

Some reports said hundreds of people were feared to have beenburied underneath the mud, but the local government has released nofigures concerning the number of missing people.

Wang said the mine was purchased and transferred to a man namedZhang Peiliang when the local government auctioned it off in 2005.

But Zhang did not apply for new licenses after its safetyproduction license was suspended in 2006 and the mining licenseexpired in 2007.

After the pond breached on Sept. 8, an area of 30.2 hectares wascovered by the mud. The mud-rock flow damaged buildings, trademarkets and some residences lying downstream.