Road cut off again in quake-hit region

BAOXING, Sichuan - A major road in one of the regions hit hardest by an earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Saturday has been cut off again after traffic had resumed briefly.

Two collapses triggered by continuous aftershocks occurred around 11 pm Sunday on a section of the provincial highway 210 in Baoxing County, sources with the rescuers said.

Rocks were still tumbling toward the road from the mountain on Monday morning, the third day since a 7.0-magnitude quake hit mountainous Lushan County on Saturday.

Traffic on the road resumed briefly on Sunday. The road, which rescuers have dubbed the "relief lifeline," links Baoxing to its neighboring counties of Lushan and Xiaojin and Dujiangyan city.

At least 26 people in the county have been confirmed dead. Another 2,500 people were reported injured and 20 remained missing as of midnight on Sunday, according to the county's publicity department.

Power had been partially restored in Baoxing as of Monday morning.

The 7.0-magnitude quake has left at least 186 people dead, 21 missing and more than 11,000 others injured.