At least 12,000 dead in China earthquake
Last updated 18:12, Tuesday, 13 May 2008
THE most powerful earthquake to hit China in 30 years has killed at least 12,000 people in south-western Sichuan province, with thousands more trapped.
Earlier it was reported that a group of about 100 British tourists were missing in the region of the earthquake, but all 100 Britons on tour operator trips to the earthquake-hit region of China are safe, UK travel organisation Abta said today.
“We have been in contact with UK holiday companies and there are about 100 clients in the Sichuan region at the moment,” Abta spokesman Sean Tipton said.
He went on: “They are all safe and none are in danger. In line with Foreign Office advice, there will be no tours to that region for the time being.”
Chinese state media said that the death toll from the quake was expected to rise with 10,000 people thought to remain buried in one town alone near the epicentre of the earthquake in Wenchuan county.
A team of 1,300 troops and medics has now reached Wenchuan, which was largely cut off by the quake.
But rescue efforts are being hampered by heavy rain and badly damaged roads.
The quake, which struck yesterday afternoon, had a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter Scale, making it the country’s worst for 30 years, with most of the casualties in the Sichuan province.
Xinhua quoted an official from the Sichuan provincial emergency management office as saying the tourists were probably in Wolong, a protection and breeding centre for pandas.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband has pledged to help China deal with the devastation wrought by an earthquake which has killed around 10,000 people.
Mr Miliband said: “The UK stands ready to assist.” He added it was “a further and tragic shock to a region already trying to handle the devastation in Burma”.
“Emerging news of the loss of life and devastation in China is deeply saddening,” he added.
“My thoughts are with the Chinese people and those families who have suffered loss. The Chinese government are to be commended for their quick and efficient response.”
A Beijing-based charity worker earlier predicted that the death toll would rise.
Dale Rutstein of Unicef China said he had only been able to get limited reports from the epicentre of the disaster in Sichuan Province.
He said: “It is very difficult, almost impossible to get through on the phone but we have had brief, sketchy, conversations with local press reporters who have backed up the main picture.
“I would expect the death toll to rise as Sichuan is one of the most populated provinces and one of the poorest.”
Mr Rutstein added that the death toll in the province’s capital city, Chengdu, could be kept down by the construction boom it is currently experiencing.
He said: “There are 10 million people there but the amount of construction means there is a lot of new buildings which will be built to a better standard so they may survive.
“I would imagine the outlying areas would be hit worse.”
Save the Children’s Wyndham James is also in the Chinese capital and said the timing of the earthquake could increase the death toll.
He said: “The earthquake was about 2.30pm and is a time when most children are in school.
“The latest figure Chinese television is giving was 7,651 dead which was a terrifically precise number.
“The death toll will undoubtedly climb.”
