There was a huge earthquake in south China, Sichuan province, 6 hours ago.
US Geological Survey:
Quote:
Magnitude 7.8
Date-Time Monday, May 12, 2008 at 06:28:00 UTC
Monday, May 12, 2008 at 02:28:00 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 31.104°N, 103.270°E
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region EASTERN SICHUAN, CHINA
Distances 90 km (55 miles) WNW of Chengdu, Sichuan, China
150 km (90 miles) WSW of Mianyang, Sichuan, China
360 km (225 miles) WNW of Chongqing, Chongqing, China
1545 km (960 miles) SW of BEIJING, Beijing, China
|
Felt in Beijing, 1000 miles away.
New York Times: 900 Trapped After Quake, China State Media Reports:
Quote:
A powerful earthquake struck a mountainous region of western China on Monday, killing at least 107 people and trapping more than 900 students beneath a collapsed high school as tremors shook buildings for hundreds of miles, according to interviews and reports in China’s state media.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Sichuan Province on Monday afternoon and raised immediate concerns that the death toll could rapidly rise. State media reports said “rows of houses” had collapsed near the quake’s epicenter. By early evening, state media had reported 107 deaths and 34 injuries in four provinces.
[...]
Early reports and telephone interviews suggested that Chengdu had been spared any significant problems, but officials were struggling to assess the full scope of the damage in Wenchuan and elsewhere because of the disruption in communications caused by the earthquake.
|
With a quake that size, news is bound to get worse.
Google Map: Epicenter
Chengdu, Sichuan, China [Population 11 million]
Mianyang, Sichuan, China [Population 5.2 million]
Chongqing, Chongqing, China [Population 31 million]