ZHOUQU, China – Heavy rains lashed a remote section of northwestern China as the death toll from weekend flooding that triggered massive landslides jumped to 1 117, although the fading hopes of rescuers got a boost late when a survivor was found in the debris.The state-run Xinhua News Agency gave no immediate details on the survivor, found nearly four days after the disaster struck. Earlier yesterday, a 50-year-old man was rescued who had been trapped in knee-deep mud on the second floor of a hotel, Xinhua said.Local officials were cited as saying at least 627 people were still missing.The National Meteorological Center warned there was a “relatively large” chance of more landslides in the coming days, as heavier rain was expected, with up to 3 1/2 inches forecast for Friday.Troops and rescue teams, joined by traumatized survivors, were increasingly turning to recovering bodies and seeing to the needs of the living.Clean drinking water was a primary concern, with most local sources destroyed or too polluted to use.(AP)
