4,000 workers arrive at Shenzhen landslide site as search continues for 74 still missing

Tian Zemin, the first survivor is found. [Photo/Weibo]

The first survivor was pulled out and 74 people were still missing on Wednesday at the site where a giant flow of mud and construction waste engulfed buildings in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Sunday.

At about 6:38 am Wednesday, Tian Zemin, the male survivor, 19, was pulled from debris, about 67 hours after the landslide. He is from southwest China's Chongqing municipality, according to Xinhua News Agency.

At 3:40 am, Tian and another person were spotted by rescue workers and they needed emergency treatment, Shenzhen Jing News cited sources from rescue headquarters as saying. Medics rushed to the site and carried out treatment there. At 4:24 am, two ambulances arrived at the scene.

However, the other person showed no vital signs of life while Tian remained conscious, according to CCTV News.

Xinhua News Agency reported that rescuers managed to get in touch with Tian at around 4:00 am. Wu Wenwei, a fireman, told Xinhua that they talked with the man and put a helmet on his head. Medics has provided him with oxygen and venous transfusion. Tian said there are probably more survivors trapped.

The deputy general manager, surnamed Yu, of the company which manages the mud and construction waste that caused the landslide has been taken under police custody, Beijing Times reported.

The list of the 76 missing－50 males and 26 females was released on Tuesday. The number was revised downward from 85 on Monday after several people believed to be missing were contacted.

Liu Qingsheng, deputy mayor of Shenzhen, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the government and police examined household and apartment rental registrations as well as registrations of workers at factory buildings in the area to help determine who was missing.

A rescue team located parts of buildings beneath the mud on Tuesday morning at four of the six dig sites by using optical radar, geological radar and other technological measures, the news conference was told.

More than 4,000 rescue workers arrived at the industrial zone with 331 pieces of engineering equipment, 190 excavators and 76 dump trucks.

In addition, public organizations, the Red Cross Society of China and NGOs joined the rescue and assistance work at the landslide site.

Housing at a local innovation center was offered as shelter for those who escaped from or were evacuated after the disaster as well as for relatives of missing workers.

"I learned about the accident from the news on Sunday evening and decided to help them as much as I could," said Niu Lianjie, chairman of the innovation center, the rooms of which now provide shelter to 283 people.