China quake: 40 survivors rescued after 16 days

Forty half-starved earthquake survivors have been rescued from a remote area in southwestern China a full 16 days after the disaster, state press reported on Thursday.They were flown out by helicopter on Wednesday from the quake-shattered village of Yangjiagou in Sichuan province, the West China Metropolitan Daily said.The survivors had been prevented from escaping by landslides triggered by the 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12, which had blocked roads in the rugged region, it said.The village is 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the nearest town.