The disaster happened in Yueqing city on Sunday when Typhoon Rananim whipped through eastern Zhejiang province killing at least 164 people.

Three mountain townships affected by the mudslide have now resumed power supply and restored communication and the search for the missing was continuing, the Xinhua news agency said.

City mayor Huang Zhengqiang said the municipal government planned to relocate the villagers to safer locations before February 2005.

Rananim was one of the strongest storms to hit China in recent years, demolishing 64,300 houses and causing economic losses of 18.1 billion yuan (2.2 billion dollars).

TERRA.WIRE