Beijing  - The death toll in a mudslide in northern China rose to 259 Tuesday, one week after a dam burst at an illegal mine, burying a market, an office building and several houses in mud.

More than 300 rescue workers continued to search the masses of dirt for the missing at the Tashan mine near the town of Linfen in Shanxi province, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Thirteen people deemed accountable for the September 8 disaster, including mine managers, have been detained.

Local residents accused the mine management of ignoring the danger posed by the dam. (dpa)