Race to unearth survivors of Chinese quake
BEIJING: A strong earthquake hit a remote mountainous area of China yesterday, killing about 400 people and injuring thousands as it toppled mud-and-wood houses and at least one school, burying many in rubble.
About 10,000 people were injured in the quake of at least 6.9 magnitude that struck at 7.49am (9.49am AEST) and disrupted telecommunications, knocked out electricity, and triggered landslides in the northwestern province of Qinghai. Rescuers were working to clear debris and find survivors in the rubble, with children said to be among the casualties.
About 400 people had been confirmed dead, the Xinhua news agency reported, quoting Huang Limin, a top official in Yushu where the quake was centred 380km southeast of the city of Golmud, at a depth of 46km. The injured are everywhere in the street, a lot of people are bleeding from head wounds," said an official named Zhuohuaxia, from the town of Jiegu. LA Times: China quake rescue efforts hampered by epicenter's isolation.