WULONG, Chongqing: Rescue workers were yesterday trying to blast through the debris of a landslide amid frantic efforts to locate scores of people believed trapped under a mountain of rocks, officials said.

Seven have been confirmed dead, and of the 65 missing, it is believed that only 27 miners, trapped 200 m below ground with millions of tons of solid rock above their heads, may survive the landslide that shook the ground at 3 pm on Friday at Jiwei Mountain, about 175 km southeast of urban Chongqing.

Rescuers and locals held out little hope for the survival of remaining 21 villagers, 18 miners who worked above ground, two telecommunications company workers and four passers-by, including students.