Direct economic losses for the May 12 Sichuan earthquake centered in Wenchuan County hit 845.1 billion yuan (about US$121 billion), an expert said in Beijing on Thursday.

The southwestern province of Sichuan suffered the worst, accounting for 91.3 percent of the total direct economic losses, according to Shi Peijun with the Wenchuan earthquake expert panel.

Its neighbouring provinces Gansu and Shaanxi accounted for 5.8 and 2.9 percent of the total losses, respectively.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2008)