Al Jazeera correspondent Melissa Chan reports from Sichuan on the rescue efforts following China's deadly earthquake. ...china earthquake disaster

The most powerful earthquake in 30 years devastated the southwest of the country.
Rescue teams are digging through rubble, trying to reach survivors of a powerful earthquake in China. Bodies covered with sheets lined streets yesterday as rescue workers dug through schools and homes turned into rubble. The total number of casualties remains unknown as heavy storms prevented relief workers from reaching victims at the epicenter of the powerful quake. The official death toll rose to more than 12,000 in Sichuan Province alone, with thousands remained buried or missing.

There was concern today for a group of 15 British tourists missing in the Chinese earthquake.The quake was centered just north of the Sichuan provincial capital, Chengdu, tearing into urban areas and mountain villages.In Mianyang City alone near the epicenter, 3,629 people were dead and 18,645 were still buried in debris, Xinhua reported.

At least 4,800 people also remained buried in Mianzhu, 100km from the epicenter, Xinhua said, citing local authorities. in Gansu Province, a 40-car freight train derailed in the quake that included 13 gasoline tankers was still burning yesterday, Xinhua said.
In Chengdu, gasoline lines grew and people huddled by TVs in shops and hotels watching the news. Grocery stores shelves were almost empty and the fast food restaurant KFC had run out of food. In Turkey's devastating 1999 earthquake, building codes were excellent, but "fly by night builders" had erected buildings using "extremely poor" materials.
You can buy the building inspector, but you can't buy off the earthquake.

Dramatic Earthquake Video Of Central China

The moment quake struck Central China. Amazing video of terror in the faces of the victims of the quake

12,000 Dead After Magnitude 7.9 Earthquake Rocks Central China
Tuesday, May 13, 2008


CHENGDU, China — A powerful earthquake toppled buildings, schools and chemical plants Monday in central China, killing about 12,000 people and trapping untold numbers in mounds of concrete, steel and earth in the country's worst quake in three decades.

The 7.9-magnitude quake devastated a region of small cities and towns set amid steep hills north of Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu. Striking in midafternoon, it emptied office buildings across the country in Beijing and could be felt as far away as Vietnam.

About 1,300 rescue workers and troops arrived Tuesday at the quake's epicenter, which had been cut off since the earthquake struck. The number of casualties there is not yet known.

Rain has compounded the difficulty of rescue efforts elsewhere. Premier Wen Jiabao, who flew to the region, said rain was forecast for the next several days.

The government was pouring in troops to aid in the disaster recovery. Xinhua said 16,000 were in the area and 34,000 more were en route.