Rescue operations have been called off for two people missing after a landslide at a quarry in east China's Anhui Province on Saturday had claimed the lives of four others, said the province's top safety official.

"Rescue operations had to be suspended after another landslide hit the quarry at 2PM on Sunday," said Cheng Chuanru, director of the Anhui Provincial Administration of Work Safety. "There's little hope for the two missing people."

The accident occurred at about 4PM on Saturday at a quarry run by the Antai Gravel Co. Ltd. in Shushan Town of Wuwei County, burying seven workers. Four were confirmed dead on Saturday night and another was being treated for injuries. Cheng said his team would attempt to recover bodies after geologists approved a safe approach.

More than 10,000 cubic meters of rock and mud slid off Wulong mountain as a result of recent rainstorms, said Cheng. He explained that more than 300 people had assisted with the rescue operation.

Initial investigations show the quarry did not have a safety certificate but was in the process of getting one when the accident occurred.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2006)