World | Other World Stories
Chinese prime minister says quake toll may hit 80,000
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said on Saturday that the death toll from a massive earthquake on May 12 had passed 60,000 and could reach 80,000 or more.
- Agencies
- Published: 09:54 May 24, 2008
- Migrants wait at a bus station in Mianyang, in China's southwest Sichuan province.
- Image Credit: AP
Yingxiu: Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said on Saturday that the death toll from a massive earthquake on May 12 had passed 60,000 and could reach 80,000 or more.
Nearly 12 per cent of those killed were students and teachers, the Beijing News reported.
The earthquake damaged thousands of infrastructures in China, including 13,451 schools, said Tu Wentao, head of the provincial education office.
The earthquake struck when school children were at their desks, burying many of them when their school collapsed.
The government has already launched a probe into the huge numbers of school collapses. Angry parents have accused the government of failing to meet safety standards.
Share this article
Related Articles
-
UN chief arrives in China quake zone
UN chief arrives in China quake zone
-
Beichuan to become memorial museum
China to turn quake town into memorial museum
-
China finds 50 radiation sources after earthquake
China finds 50 radiation sources after earthquake
-
China quake toll more than 55,000
Rain threatens China as earthquake death toll rises to more than 55,000
-
Sichuan leg of torch relay postponed
Sichuan leg of Olympic torch relay postponed
-
China death toll jumps to 51,000
China earthquake death toll jumps to more than 51,000
-
China makes urgent appeal for tents
China makes urgent appeal for tents
-
Quake response earns plaudits
Exemplary quake response earns plaudits but challenges lie ahead
News Editor's choice
-
King Tut's tomb set for project
Observers note strange brown spots marring lavish wall paintings
-
Thieves caught with Dh6m in gold
Twenty-five gold bars were stolen from the luggage of a Malaysian tradesman
-
What to expect at the Dubai Airshow
We preview what types of aircraft to expect at the Dubai Airshow
