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China quake toll close to 15,000 | China quake toll close to 15,000 |
(10 minutes later) | |
Nearly 15,000 people died in the devastating earthquake that hit China's Sichuan province, the official Xinhua news agency has reported. | Nearly 15,000 people died in the devastating earthquake that hit China's Sichuan province, the official Xinhua news agency has reported. |
Thousands more are still trapped in the rubble two days after the 7.9 quake struck, causing landslides and razing homes, schools and whole villages. | Thousands more are still trapped in the rubble two days after the 7.9 quake struck, causing landslides and razing homes, schools and whole villages. |
China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao was flying to the epicentre to see relief work, having met survivors elsewhere. | China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao was flying to the epicentre to see relief work, having met survivors elsewhere. |
Troops have been mobilised and aid has been dropped to cut-off areas. | Troops have been mobilised and aid has been dropped to cut-off areas. |
Officials reached the town of Yingxiu, in Wenchuan County, to find the devastation was worse than expected - out of the town's population of 10,000, only 2,300 have been found alive. | Officials reached the town of Yingxiu, in Wenchuan County, to find the devastation was worse than expected - out of the town's population of 10,000, only 2,300 have been found alive. |
The head of a police unit sent into the disaster zone said the losses had been severe. | The head of a police unit sent into the disaster zone said the losses had been severe. |
"Some towns basically have no houses left," Wang Yi, told Sichuan Online news site. "They have all been razed to the ground." | "Some towns basically have no houses left," Wang Yi, told Sichuan Online news site. "They have all been razed to the ground." |
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Children rescued from school rubble | |
Slow progress | Slow progress |
Poor weather has hampered aid efforts, and rescuers have been forced to trek to areas cut off by the quake damage and search through the rubble with their bare hands. | Poor weather has hampered aid efforts, and rescuers have been forced to trek to areas cut off by the quake damage and search through the rubble with their bare hands. |
Officials for the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Railways told reporters that road conditions were impeding relief work. | Officials for the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Railways told reporters that road conditions were impeding relief work. |
"We may have 10 machines but given the road condition only one excavator can used at one time, and we can only push forward one metre by one metre," one said. | "We may have 10 machines but given the road condition only one excavator can used at one time, and we can only push forward one metre by one metre," one said. |
The earthquake on Monday was the worst to strike China since more than 240,000 people were killed in Tangshan in 1976. | The earthquake on Monday was the worst to strike China since more than 240,000 people were killed in Tangshan in 1976. |