[Chengdu, China – Reuters, May 13] The death toll from the massive earthquake that struck southwestern China is nearing 10,000 in Sichuan Province alone, with hundreds still trapped under collapsed buildings. According to state media, the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which had its epicenter in Sichuan, caused the collapse of at least eight schools, several chemical plants, and at least one hospital in the province, trapping hundreds under rubble.
The death toll from this devastating earthquake—the worst to hit China in the past 30 years—is expected to rise. Rescue efforts have been hindered near the epicenter in Wenchuan County, located about 100 kilometers from Chengdu, the provincial capital, due to severed roads and railways.
In Dujiangyan City, a three-story school collapsed, burying approximately 900 students. The government has dispatched military personnel and medical teams for rescue operations, and Premier Wen Jiabao has also arrived in the disaster zone.
According to Sichuan Television, more than 7,000 of the fatalities are concentrated in Beichuan County in northern Sichuan, where 80% of the buildings have collapsed.
This earthquake is the most severe to strike China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which claimed 300,000 lives.