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China 'student quake toll 19,000' China names 19,000 May quake dead
(about 3 hours later)
More than 19,000 people died in schools that collapsed when an earthquake hit Sichuan province in May, Chinese officials have said for the first time. The Chinese government has published a list containing the names and basic details of 19,065 people who died in an earthquake in Sichuan province in May.
Many were buried in the rubble when schools collapsed, often while other buildings remained standing - raising questions about their construction. But officials denied earlier reports that the figure referred specifically to those killed in schools.
Wei Hong, vice governor of Sichuan, was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying there was still no final figure for students.
The magnitude 8.0 earthquake left about 88,000 people dead or missing.The magnitude 8.0 earthquake left about 88,000 people dead or missing.
Many were buried in the rubble when schools collapsed, often while other buildings remained standing - raising questions about their construction.
Some parents who lost their children have called for investigations into whether schools were shoddily built.Some parents who lost their children have called for investigations into whether schools were shoddily built.
Images of satchels and schoolbooks scattered among the wreckage of classrooms, as well as the desperate searches of parents for their children, were among the most moving after the tremor. But earlier reports that the 19,000 identified dead were all killed in schools have now been denied by Mr Wei.
Sichuan's vice governor Wei Hong gave the death toll from the province's schools while speaking at a news conference on preparations for the winter in the earthquake zone. "Because the total number of the people killed in the quake is still being checked, so there is still no final figure about the students toll," he said, according to Xinhua.
He said the figure of more than 19,000 was provisional and that the government had not yet finished counting. He said the list of the dead included the name, birth place, where he or she was killed and other personal information.
Mr Wei said the millions of people displaced by the quake would need help to carry out repairs to their homes if they were to survive what is expected to be a colder than usual winter. It was the first time the government had announced such detailed information about the dead and more lists will be published, he said.
He also appealed for more donations of quilts and clothing to help those affected.