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 08 September 2008 12:37 BST

China quake death-toll at 12,000, expected to rise

Tuesday, 13 May 2008 19:44
A survivor of the earthquake in south-west China escapes from rubble

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Up to 12,000 people have been killed following yesterday's powerful earthquake in south-west China, with tens of thousands of others buried under rubble.

State media reported that 9,219 people have died in Sichuan province alone, which was struck by the 7.8-magnitude quake at 14:48 local time (07:28 BST) on Tuesday.

Chinese president Hu Jintao has pledged "all-out efforts" to send relief to victims in the eight affected provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guizhou and Hubei.

In the district of Beichuan alone 5,000 people were killed, while 10,000 remain buried in nearby Mianzhu.

But rescue efforts and the deployment of 1,300 troops are being hampered by the blocking of a major road into Wenchuan, the epicentre of yesterday's earthquake, which was the strongest to hit China in three decades.

The country's premier Wen Jiabao has admitted the extent of the devastation is "unclear".

"We must try our best to open up roads to the epicentre and rescue people trapped in the disaster-hit areas," he was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

"At present, we have great difficulties to carry out our rescue work

"People's lives and property safety are the top priorities and many people are still trapped in debris.

"We must treasure every second and do our utmost to save survivors."

Tremors from the quake were reported in more than half of China's provinces, as well as in the capital Beijing 1,500km away.

China's last major earthquake killed 242,000 people in 1976 when the northern city of Tanghsan was devastated.End of story


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