May 16, 2008

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Millions left homeless by China quake

WHO: the people of China
WHAT: A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said Friday that a devastating earthquake in southwest China destroyed or heavily damaged 436,000 properties leading to 4.8 million homeless, according to official figures.
WHERE: BEIJING, China
WHEN: May 16, 2008
WHY: At a news conference in the U.S. capital, Wang Baodong said the disaster had led to 500 deaths outside Sichuan province, the hardest-hit area. The official death toll now stands at 22,000, with 14,000 still buried. A German has been confirmed as among those killed by Monday's quake, said Baodong. The suffering of Sichuan's inhabitants has been prolonged by repeated aftershocks, some 4,400 since the quake hit, according to Baodong.
HOW: The latest aftershock hit quake-damaged areas Friday, triggering landslides, blocking roads, knocking out phone lines and burying vehicles, state-run media reported. The 5.5-magnitude earthquake rattled Sichuan shortly after President Hu Jintao arrived in the quake zone to get a first-hand look at the devastated region. Baodong said that rescuers now have reached all 58 counties and towns in southwest China that were stricken by Monday's earthquake. Quoting from a statement by the president, he said, "Saving lives is still the top priority," and the nation has to make more efforts to treat the injured. Hu described the current situation as "the most crucial phase" of the rescue effort. "We must race against time to overcome all difficulties." The original magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit Sichuan Province the hardest, shattering communities, leveling dozens of schools and burying transportation routes with landslides