BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Thousands of people have been killed by Monday's powerful earthquake in just one affected region of central China, its government said, with the toll expected to keep rising as bodies are retrieved from schools, homes and factories.
Quote:
State-run news agency Xinhua said the official toll had risen to 8,533 in Sichuan Province.
It reported that authorities were yet to reach Wenchuan County, which sits at the epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake with a population of about 112,000.
In Beichuan County, close to Wenchuan, the number of deaths was estimated at more than 3,000, with 80 percent of the buildings destroyed.
Southeast Asia is really taking a beating... very sad. Unfortunately I expect the toll will rise much higher.
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Huge thanks to Dion for the signature!
Given how the Chinese tend to keep records, you can almost interpret 8500 to be more like 30,000. Just staggering the number of people who are losing their lives in these recent tragedy's in South East Asia.
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Earthquake In China Claims More Than 8500 Lives
