"Landslides kill up to 10 times more people across the world than previously thought, according to a study by a UK university.

Durham University has calculated that 32,300 people died in landslides between 2004 and 2010.

Earlier estimated suggested the toll was between 3,000 and 7,000 people.


Weather patterns, deforestation and increasingly dense population settlements were factors in the toll caused by landslides, the study said.

The report's main author, David Petley, said landslides should be seen as a major global hazard.

"Areas with a combination of high relief, intense rainfall, and a high population density are most likely to experience high numbers of fatal landslides," he said.
"


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19271809