Landslide leaves 6 dead in Wenchuan

CHENGDU, July 25 (Xinhua)-- Rescuers found two more bodies in the debris¹ of a bridge smashed by fallen rocks early Saturday in southwest China's Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, raising the death toll² to six, authorities said Saturday afternoon.

Five of the dead had been identified, said the Wenchuan County Civil Affairs Bureau.

Twelve injured people, five seriously, were being treated in Wenchuan County People's Hospital.

Vehicles plunged³ into the Minjiang River when huge rocks washed off by continuous heavy rains from a nearby mountain hit and broke a bridge pier⁴ at about 5 a.m., destroying the Chediguan Bridge which they were riding on, said an official with the information center of Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous⁵ Prefecture.

More than 100 meters of the 300-meter-long bridge collapsed⁶, the official said.

At least seven vehicles were found destroyed, including six trucks and one minibus, said the official, adding that all the injured were sent to hospital.

Rescuers said they were not sure how many vehicles had plunged into the river, but added casualties might still rise if more vehicles were found in the river.

The Chediguan Bridge is called a lifeline for the reconstruction⁷ of Wenchuan.

The bridge is part of the No. 213 national highway, a major traffic line linking Wenchuan to other areas. The highway, which plays a key role in restoring local tourism and production, was interrupted. More than 10,000 vehicles pass the bridge every day, which reopened to traffic in May.

The accident area is not covered by the communication network, according to the official.

An 8-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan County on May 12, 2008, leaving about 87,000 people dead or missing and injuring more than 370,000 others.

（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

4 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

5 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

6 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

7 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。