More than 100 villagers blocked the construction of a garbage treatment plant in southern Guangdong Province after hearing rumors that a crematory would be built there.

People from nearby villages in Dianbai County protested against the construction and damaged the local government offices last Saturday, Yangcheng Evening News reported today.

Dianbai police said the protesters received flyers on January 27 claiming a crematory would be built there. Considering it a bad luck, the villagers rallied at the construction site to stop the project, the report said.

The Dianbai County government said the garbage incineration plant is a key environmental project and has obtained all official approvals.

It has formed a taskforce to disseminate the project information and dispel the villagers' worries, the report said.