StrongEarthquakeLeavesMorethan8,700DeadinChina
Atleast8,700peoplearedeadandthousandsmoreinjuredafteramassiveearthquakerockedsouthwestChinaonMondayafternoon.
Thequake,measuring7.8ontheRichterscale,wastheworsttostrikeChinasincetheTangshanearthquakein1976,whichclaimed242,000lives.
TheviolentquakejoltedWenchuanCounty,159kilometersnorthwestoftheprovincialcapitalChengdu,at2:28p.m.Monday.
MemberoftheStandingCommitteeofthePoliticalBureauoftheCommunistPartyofChinaCentralCommitteeandChinesePemierWenJiabao(C)arrangesreliefworkoftheearthquakeduringhisflightforthedisasterareaonMay12,2008.PremierWenflewintosouthwestChina'sSichuanProvinceonMondayafternoonandleftstraightforthequake-hitcountyofWenchuan,159kilometersfromtheprovincialcapitalofChengdu,tooverseerescueworkthere.
LocalresidentssleeponthestreetsafteranearthquakeinMianyang,SichuanprovinceMay12,2008.
AspokesmanwithChinaSeismologicalBureau(CSB)saidtheintensequakewasfeltinatleast16provinces,municipalitiesandautonomousregions,includingBeijing,ShanghaiandTibet.
Theshocks,whichwereevenfeltintheThaicapitalofBangkok,1,800kilometersfromtheepicenter,leveledbuildings,cuttransportandelectricitysupplies,andcausedflightstoandfromtheaffectedareastobecanceledorpostponed.
ChinesePremierWenJiabao,whoarrivednearthequakecenterMondayafternoonbyplane,saidthequakewasa"majordisaster"andcalledforcalmandcourage.
GREATLOSSOfficialsinSichuansaidatleast8,533peopleweredeadintheprovinceasof10p.m.Monday.InBeichuan,anothercountyhardhitbythequake,thenumberofpeopledeadisestimatedat5,000,andupto10,000peopleareinjured.
GOVERNMENTRESPONSEPresidentHuJintaocalledongovernmentdepartmentsinvolvedindisasterreliefworktoorganizeimmediatefirstaidforthepeopleandtoensurepublicsafety.PremierWenJiabaoarrivedinChengdulateMondayandwasinDujiangyantodirectrescuework.
RESCUEUNDERWAYHuaxiHospital,thelargesthospitalinChengdu,hastakenin106patientsafterthequake.Thehospitalsetupanemergencyrescuecenter,andkeptallofitsmedicalstaffavailableonduty.
EXPERTANALYSISMorethan300aftershockswereregisteredafterthequake,andaChineseseismologistwarnedresidentsinearthquake-affectedareasinsouthwestChinaofmoretremors,whichcouldbejustasdevastating.