Society

Landslides cut off major road to SW China county

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-07-01 21:43

CHENGDU - Landslides triggered by a sudden downpour in Southwest China cut off a major road leading to the mountains-surrounded county that was the epicenter of a devastating earthquake three years ago.

Police sealed off a section of National Highway 213 leading to the Wenchuan county from the city of Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, and ordered vehicles heading for Wenchuan to turn around.

No casualties have been reported, and crews are working to clear the landslide-hit areas.

Wenchuan was at the epicenter of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Sichuan and neighboring provinces in May 2008. The quake left some 87,000 people dead or missing.

The bustling national highway was dubbed the "lifeline" of Wenchuan quake zone during the rescue and reconstruction.