More than 1,100 rescuers helped to retrieve the victims. They used excavators and front-loader trucks to sift through massive piles of debris. Their search operations were slowed by the size of the affected area, the depth of the flattened houses, and below-freezing temperatures as nearby mountains were covered with snow.
The landslide area - 120 meters long, 110 meters wide and 16 meters deep - produced about 210,000 cubic meters of mud and rock.
The surviving 629 people from 136 households in the village have been resettled in a safe area.
Zhenxiong county officials have decided to relocate the entire village, with preparations to begin soon for selecting a new site.
Yang Jiequan, a woman who was leaving of the village and narrowly escaped the deadly mudslide, returned to her house only to find her husband and two sons did not get away in time.
Yang said she first heard a thud. Turning her head to look back, she saw her home flattened by the rush of mud.
Zhenxiong county has called for donations to help with disaster relief. Hu Congcai, a civil affairs official in Zhenxiong county, said so far the total contributions exceeded 1 million yuan.
Xunhua News Agency contributed to the story.
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