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107 people killed in massive earthquake in China, reports say
At least 107 people were killed and 34 injured in southwest China after a huge earthquake hit Sichuan province on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency said.
- Agencies
- Published: 11:06 May 12, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- Hospital patients wait outside after an earthquake in Fuyang, in China's Anhui province.
Beijing: At least 107 people were killed and 34 injured in southwest China after a huge earthquake hit Sichuan province on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Around 900 students were buried in a high school in Juyuan Township, Dujiangyan City, also in Sichuan.
The death toll looked likely to rise further as authorities and rescue teams make contact with areas whose roads and phone lines have been cut off since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit.
Authorities have temporarily closed the international airport in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.
An office worker in the city said, "We felt continuous shaking for about two or three minutes. All the people in our office are rushing downstairs. We're still feeling slight tremblings."
In Beijing's financial district, many workers poured from their buildings but there were no visible signs of damage. The subway system was unaffected.
"People were shouting 'get out, get out', so we all ran out of our dorm," said a student at a university in nearby Chongqing.
Minutes later, another earthquake also shook buildings in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
The tremors were also felt in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and high buildings in Bangkok were continuing to sway seven minutes after the first movements were felt.
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