The earthquake that hit western Xinjiang Monday morning has claimed
the lives of 261 people and seriously wounded 2,050 others, relief
officials said Tuesday.
Some 8,861 houses and 900 classrooms collapsed in the powerful
magnitude 6.8 quake that toppled Jiashi and Bachu counties at about
10 a.m. Monday.
Rescue work has been busily going on while large amounts of
disaster-relief materials, including tents, cotton coats and
quilts, are on the way to the disaster area.
Wang Lequan, top leader of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,
flew from Beijing to the earthquake-stricken area to guide the
disaster-relief activities Tuesday morning.
Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Xinjiang
Committee, was attending a meeting in Beijing when the earthquake
took place.
Ismail Tiliwaldi, president of the autonomous region, also flew
back from Beijing to the disaster area.
(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2003)