China Rushes to Help 10,000 People Injured in Powe
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Date: 4/15/2010 8:23:15 AM
Sender: Voice of America
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China Rushes to Help 10,000 People Injured in Powerful Earthquake
Chinese men remove a dead body recovered after earthquakes struck Jiegu township, about 30 kilometers from the epicenter, in Yushu county in western China＇s Qinghai province, 15 Apr 2010
Western China has been rocked by a powerful earthquake and strong aftershocks, which have claimed more than 500 lives. More than 10,000 people have been injured and many more people may be trapped in damaged buildings.
The earthquake struck the western Chinese province of Qinghai early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in villages around the region.
The China Earthquake Administration estimates the quake as being a 7.1 magnitude, while the U.S. Geological Survey puts it at 6.9.
The quake struck just before 8 in the morning in the mountainous and remote western area, which divides Qinghai Province and Tibet.
A second strong quake struck about five minutes later, state media say, destroying 85 percent of the buildings in one township near the epicenter.
School children are among those reported as trapped and many injured people can be seen in the street with bleeding head wounds.
An Armed Police Detachment Commander in Qinghai, Shi Huajie, told Chinese state TV some 600 rescuers are scrambling to save the many people he says are buried in Yushu County. But he says a lack of organization is slowing their efforts.
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