Mudslide, flood trap 500 in 2 Chinese provinces

BEIJING (AP) - Rescue workers searched on Monday for more than 100 people trapped by a mudslide in south-western China, while in another part of the country 400 workers were trapped by a flood in a railway tunnel.

The official Xinhua News Agency says the rain-triggered mudslide engulfed a village in Yunnan province on Monday morning, initially trapping at least 200 people. It says firefighters rescued more than 80 people by noon.

In Liaoning province in north-eastern China, workers searched for 400 workers trapped in a railway tunnel by two metres of water caused by heavy rains, the official China Daily newspaper reported. It did not immediately give any other details.

Mudslides and flooding are common in China's mountainous areas, killing hundreds of people every year. Deforestation has caused soil erosion and made some parts of China prone to mudslides after strong rains.