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Death toll in China earthquake up to nearly 9,000

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FourScore Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon May-12-08 12:37 PM
Original message
Death toll in China earthquake up to nearly 9,000
Source: AP

One of the worst earthquakes in decades struck central China on Monday, killing nearly 9,000 people, trapping about 900 students under the rubble of their school and causing a toxic chemical leak, state media reported.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated a hilly region of small cities and towns in Sichuan and nearby provinces. The official Xinhua News Agency said 8,533 people died in Sichuan alone and dozens of other deaths were reported in surrounding areas.

Xinhua said 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Beichuan county in Sichuan province after the quake, raising fears the overall death toll could increase sharply.

State media said a chemical plant in Shifang city had cratered, burying hundreds of people and spilling more than 80 tons of toxic liquid ammonia from the site...



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080512/ap_on_re_as/china_e...
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   Replies to this thread
   Prayers for the victms.  Jim4Wes   May-12-08 01:07 PM   #1 
   China's been putting up a lot of buildings really fast...  aquart   May-12-08 01:58 PM   #2 
      The epicentre is on the edge of the TIbetan plateau  Teh_Rabble_Rouser   May-12-08 02:42 PM   #3 
         Apparently Jiabao's running around the site directing rescue efforts in person  Posteritatis   May-12-08 10:47 PM   #4 
 
BootinUp (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon May-12-08 01:07 PM
Response to Original message
1. Prayers for the victms.
Sounds really bad.
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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon May-12-08 01:58 PM
Response to Original message
2. China's been putting up a lot of buildings really fast...
How populous was that area? How much new construction?

If the first report is 9,000, I expect it to get a lot worse.
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Doctor Cynic (956 posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon May-12-08 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. The epicentre is on the edge of the TIbetan plateau
And just on the fringe of the Sichuan Basin, a flat plain of 100+ million people.

If there was a lot of liquefaction in this densely populated and very poor area, then the death toll will go up a lot.

Fortunately the Chinese government will actually help people, unlike the Burmese junta.
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Posteritatis (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Mon May-12-08 10:47 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. Apparently Jiabao's running around the site directing rescue efforts in person
Obviously a lot of that is likely to be photo-opping, but even still, it's certainly more upper-echelon attention than certain other flattened cities I can think of got within a day...
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