Earthquake death toll exceeds 41,000 mark
2008-5-22
THE official death toll from China's devastating earthquake rose by 1,278 to 41,353 as of noon yesterday, according to the Information Office of the State Council.
Another 274,683 people were injured and there were still 32,666 missing in the aftermath of the 8.0-magnitude quake that hit Sichuan Province on May 12.
With the increasing deaths and the coming summer, the disaster regions are facing mounting pressure to prevent epidemics, though no outbreak or serious mass health incidents have been reported.
Medical teams made up of about 45,000 members are working in all quake-hit counties and townships in Sichuan, according to the Ministry of Health.
Among them there are more than 5,200 people in charge of epidemic prevention, and about 1,196 tons of disinfectants and bactericides have been distributed, the ministry said in a statement.
In seven out of the 11 worst-hit counties, sanitation work has been fully implemented and in the other four, a third of townships have been covered.
According to local health departments, as of Sunday, doctors found 58 cases of gas gangrene, a bacterial infection. Officials said the cases are not epidemic and will not affect people without open wounds.
According to the Department of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, rescuers saved and evacuated 396,811 people to safe places as of noon yesterday, about 36,000 more than the figure of midnight Monday.
A total of 6,452 survivors have been dug out from the rubble since the rescue task started.
The Ministry of Health said yesterday that 3,424 people injured in the quake had died in hospitals.
The hospitals have taken in 59,394 people since the quake. By noon yesterday, 30,289 had recovered and been discharged while 25,681 were still being treated.
Power has been restored in most parts but Beichuan County remained blacked out and Hongyuan's electricity is cut off again due to aftershocks, according to the State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Roads damaged in the quake total 28,829 kilometers, and 19,645km have been repaired and reopened to traffic.
