China: 367 Dead, 1.8K Hurt in Quake

6.1 temblor is strongest to hit Yunnan in 14 years
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 3, 2014 6:55 AM CDT
Updated Aug 3, 2014 1:19 PM CDT
Strong Quake Rocks China, at Least 26 Dead
In this photo taken by cellphone and released by Xinhua, men look for survivors after an earthquake in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014.   (AP Photo/Xinhua/Hu Chao)

The death toll in the strong earthquake that rocked southwestern China, which initially was reported at 26 people, has now risen to at least 367 and looks likely to continue to rise. Some 1,881 people are reported injured. Yunnan province's information bureau earlier reported at least 120 of the dead were in densely populated Ludian county, with another 180 missing and 1,300 people injured there; 12,000 homes are reported to have collapsed. The magnitude-6.1 quake struck at 4:30pm at a depth of 6 miles, according to the US Geological Survey. Its epicenter was in Longtoushan township, 14 miles southwest of the city of Zhaotong, the Ludian county seat.

Ma Liya, a resident of Zhaotong, told Xinhua that the streets there were like a "battlefield after bombardment. The aftermath is much, much worse than what happened after the quake two years ago," Ma said. "I have never felt such strong tremors before. What I can see are all ruins." News reports said rescuers were still trying to reach victims in more remote towns. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the quake was the strongest to hit Yunnan in 14 years. Meanwhile, the BBC has video released by state media showing the moment the shaking started. (More earthquake stories.)

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