Some 400 people have died and thousands are feared injured after a magnitude-6.9 quake hit western China's Qinghai province, officials say.The powerful tremor struck remote Yushu county, 800km (500 miles) south-west of the provincial capital Xining, at 0749 (2349 GMT), at a shallow depth of 10km.
Most of the buildings in the worst-hit town of Jiegu were wrecked, and landslides have cut off roads. State broadcaster CCTV reported that at least 10,000 people are injured.
About 5,000 specialist quake rescuers have been dispatched from neighbouring provinces plus tents, clothing and blankets. Many people have fled to the surrounding mountains, amid fears that a nearby dam could burst in the aftershocks hitting the area. Most of the damage has been to houses built of wood and mud, but some larger concrete buildings have been badly damaged as well.
Many students are buried under the debris due to building collapse at a vocational school. Another local official told CCTV that contact had been made with 40-50 people buried alive under the rubble of a government building
Power and water have been cut off, and the road to the local airport is reported to have been blocked by landslides.
My heart goes out to China
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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