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Mobile communication basically restored in mudslide-hit county

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-09 20:53

BEIJING - Mobile telephone services have been basically restored to mudslide-hit Zhouqu county in Northwest China's Gansu province, but fixed-line network was still under repair, Chinese telecom operators said Monday.

Telecommunication cables in the county seat were repaired by 8 pm Sunday, said China Telecom, one of China's major telecommunications companies, in a statement on its website.

Related readings:  Death toll?of NW China mudslides rises to 137  More rain forecast for mudslide-hit Zhouqu county  HK Red Cross to provide supplies for Zhouqu  Japan ready to offer help to landslide-hit China

The company's CDMA service in Zhouqu has resumed but fixed-line services are unavailable as cables are submerged, the statement said.

Rain-triggered mudslide swept through Zhouqu early Sunday, leaving at least 137 dead, close to 1,300 missing and at least 307 homes destroyed.

China Telecom's communication services were completely cut after the mudslide as all communication equipment was buried and damaged, said China Telecom.

China Mobile, the country's largest mobile operator, said its mobile services were able to meet the basic needs of the county seat by 1 am Monday, with its eight communications base stations in Zhouqu back in service and three others still severely damaged.

China Mobile has also dispatched two emergency communications vehicles to the county.

Mobile communications in the county will fully resume soon, the company said.