The death toll from the landslide in Zhouqu county in Northwest China's Gansu province has risen to 1,254 people. 490 others are still missing.

The disaster zone hasn't had a reprieve in the weather. Intense rain pounded Zhouqu county overnight. Luckily, the rain didn't last long, so the county escaped further mudslides. More than 200 people in a nearby village have been relocated as a precaution.

The Land and Resources Ministry has identified 70 potentially dangerous sites. Nine of them are around Zhouqu and are being closely monitored. The weather bureau says more rain is forecast to strike the disaster zone over the next four days.

The rain has brought more mud to Zhouqu, posing increased difficulties for the clean-up operation. The only route connecting Zhouqu and nearby villages has been smothered in one-meter-thick mud. Crews worked for five hours to clear more than 13-hundred cubic meters of mud to re-open the road, allowing in more relief supplies.

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