Beijing, Sept. 7, (dpa/GNA) - The death toll in an earthquake that struck south-western China on Monday has risen to 74, with over 250 people injured, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday.
A further 26 people were reportedly still missing two days after the quake.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Luding County in Ganzi Prefecture and particularly affected the city of Ya’an in Sichuan Province. The area is around two hours’ drive south-west of the provincial capital Chengdu.
Since the earthquake, a large-scale search and rescue operation involving thousands of first responders has been underway. The military has also been mobilized.
Thousands of houses were destroyed or damaged by the earthquake, with reports of landslides blocking roads. Electricity, water and communication lines were also cut.
Sichuan province, which lies on the edge of the overthrust fault of the Indian continental plate and the Eurasian plate, is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. In 2008, the area was hit by a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that left more than 80,000 people dead.
GNA