China earthquake kills hundreds in Qinghai


Nearly 600 people have died and thousands been 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.

Police said hundreds of survivors had already been pulled from the rubble.

As survivors in the mountainous region passed the night in freezing temperatures, local rescue officials said the death toll had risen to 589, Chinese state media reported.


State broadcaster CCTV earlier reported that at least 10,000 people were injured.

A local official in Jiegu told the BBC that almost all of the buildings in the town had been destroyed.

"The death toll will definitely go up," he said. ...

More at this link: [link to news.bbc.co.uk]

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