China quake injury toll climbs to 600

BEIJING – Local hospitals were struggling to cope yesterday as rescuers continued to search for survivors following an earthquake in southwest China that killed at least three people and injured almost 600.

The quake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale ripped through Ludian County in Yunnan province late Tuesday, flattening almost 5 000 mud houses and forcing the evacuation of 50 000 people. The county government on its website said 155 schools had been affected, and factories, office buildings and reservoirs had been destroyed or damaged.One of the three deaths was a four-year-old girl, Zhaotong city’s mayor Deng Xianpei was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.Of the 594 people injured, 26 were listed in critical condition and 142 as serious.Xinhua said local hospitals had been overwhelmed by the injured and some had to be treated in courtyards.- Nampa-AFPThe county government on its website said 155 schools had been affected, and factories, office buildings and reservoirs had been destroyed or damaged.One of the three deaths was a four-year-old girl, Zhaotong city’s mayor Deng Xianpei was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.Of the 594 people injured, 26 were listed in critical condition and 142 as serious.Xinhua said local hospitals had been overwhelmed by the injured and some had to be treated in courtyards.- Nampa-AFP