Thirteen Killed By Earthquake In China

China rushed Wednesday to reach victims of a strong earthquake that jolted its mountainous southwest, killing at least 13 people and rattling a region where memories of a colossal 2008 seismic disaster remain fresh.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan province late on Tuesday, tearing cracks in highways, loosing rockslides, damaging structures and sending panicked residents and tourists fleeing into the open.

Thousands of people, including many visitors to a popular national park near the epicentre, remained outside overnight, according to reports, and were being evacuated to safety Wednesday as nerves were kept on edge by more than 1,000 aftershocks that rippled across the region.

No reports of serious damage or large-scale casualties had emerged by Wednesday afternoon but aid organisations warned that it will take time before a clear picture comes into focus due to the area’s difficult geography.

The quake killed at least 13 people and injured 175, 28 seriously, the local government of Aba prefecture said.

Images from the quake zone showed cars and buses tossed into ravines or crushed by giant boulders apparently jolted loose from surrounding hills, while uniformed paramilitary police with shovels were pictured digging through rubble for victims.

Elsewhere, injured victims were photographed being treated in hospitals while stunned crowds, fearing more tremors, waited out in the open to be evacuated, particularly near the epicentre at Jiuzhaigou.

Source: Guardian