Home / Environment / Features Analyses Tools: Save | Print | Major earthquake slams southwest China" target="_blank" class="style1">E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Major earthquake slams southwest China
Adjust font size:

15 British tourists out of reach in Sichuan

A group of "about" 15 British tourists were out of reach on Tuesday morning in Wenchuan, the epicenter of a strong earthquake that struck southwest China Monday, said the Sichuan provincial emergency management office.

A spokesman with the office said more than 2,000 tourists including the British were stranded in the Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba as of 8:20 a.m. Tuesday.

He said the British tourists were likely in Wolong, which is known for China Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center.

The spokesman also said a tourist coach was buried by a landslide in Maoxian County, Aba Prefecture, leaving 37 people dead.

Earlier, a spokesman of the Sichuan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office told Xinhua at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday that they had not received such report from various parts of the province, including the tourist attractions of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong.

However, China Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, which is in the worst quake-hit area and home to some 130 pandas, was out of contact as all telecommunications services were cut. The casualties and damages there were unknown yet, the spokesman added.

The death toll from Monday's strong earthquake has climbed to 9,219, according to the latest figure given by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Giant pandas in Chengdu safe from China quake

The 60 giant pandas at a research base in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, were safe after Monday's devastating earthquake, sources with the base said on Tuesday.

At least 1,000 students buried in Beichuan worst hit by quake

At least 1,000 students and teachers were dead or missing in a high school in Beichuan county of southwest China's Sichuan Province, which suffered the worst from Monday's earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale.

The main building of Beichuan Middle School in Mianyang City, 160 kilometers northeast of Chengdu, collapsed when the quake hit at around 2:30 pm, and very few students escaped, parents and rescuers said.

Xinhua reporters saw the building, a six- or seven-story structure, was reduced to relics about two meters tall.

About 2,000 students, parents and villagers waited on the campus over the night as nearly 1,000 armed police officers searched for survivors in the ruins. Some covered themselves with quilts as it began to rain early on Tuesday.

Many parents couldn't hold back their tears when a rescuer carried a teenage girl out of the ruins. She had lost her legs.

"I just pray my child is safe and sound," said one tearful mother. "Who cares if our house is ruined?"

Chen Linglin, a first-grader, and her classmates huddled together waiting for help. "We need food and water more than anything else," she said.

Beichuan Middle School is located in the mountains about 500 meters from the county seat. It has more than 2,000 students and teachers in three school buildings. The other two buildings also collapsed partially.

The quake, the worst to hit China since 1976, also toppled school buildings in several other parts of Sichuan and the neighboring Chongqing Municipality, trapping thousands.

Beichuan County is by far the worst-hit area in Monday's quake. Up to 5,000 people were said dead there.

But in Wenchuan County, the epicenter 159 km northwest of Chengdu, about 60,000 people in several townships and villages were still out of reach.

1   2   3   4   5    


Tools: Save | Print | Major earthquake slams southwest China" target="_blank" class="style1">E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous

China Archives
Related >>
Most Viewed >>
- Earthquake death toll rises to 32,477
- Earthquake death toll rises to 22,069
- Earthquake death toll rises to 28,881
- Moment quake struck captured in wedding photos
- Powerful earthquake hits Sichuan Province
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing particulate matter II
Shanghai particulate matter II
Guangzhou particulate matter II
Chongqing particulate matter II
Xi'an particulate matter II
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
- Prof. Maria E. Fernandez to Give a Lecture on Climate Change
More
Archives
UN meets on climate change
The UN Climate Change Conference brought together representatives of over 180 countries and observers from various organizations.
Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base