Death toll from magnitude-6.1 quake rises to 24

2008-8-31

LOCAL authorities in southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces today renewed the death toll of the yesterday's 6.1-magnitude quake from 22 to 24.

Sixteen deaths were reported in Huili, a county in Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Liangshan, Sichuan Province, and three deaths in Panzhihua City, also in Sichuan, and five other deaths in Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Chuxiong in Yunnan.

The quake struck the juncture of Renhe District in Panzhihua and Huili County in Liangshan prefecture at 4:30 pm yesterday. The epicenter was about 50 km southeast of downtown Panzhihua, at 26.2 degrees north latitude and 101.9 degrees east longitude and at a depth of 10 km, according to the China Earthquake Administration.

Nearly 400 people were injured in the quake, which also destroyed plenty of residences, and other infrastructure in the quake zone.