May 12, 2008 CHENGDU, China --
A strong earthquake hits China
and killed nearly 19,000
people in Sichuan provinces on
Monday. About 900 students
were trapped under the rubble
of their school and caused a
toxic chemical leak, state
media reported. The quake hit
about 60 miles northwest of
Chengdu, a city of about 3.75
million
more

May 12, 2008 CHENGDU, China --
A strong earthquake hits China
and killed nearly 19,000
people in Sichuan provinces on
Monday. About 900 students
were trapped under the rubble
of their school and caused a
toxic chemical leak, state
media reported. The quake hit
about 60 miles northwest of
Chengdu, a city of about 3.75
million in the middle of the
afternoon when classrooms and
office towers were full. When
it hit shortly before 2:30
p.m., the quake rumbled for
nearly three minutes driving
people into the streets in
panic. The 7.9-magnitude
earthquake devastated a hilly
region of small cities and
towns in central China. 200
others were killed in three
other provinces and the
mega-city of Chongqing.

News report that 80 percent of
the buildings had collapsed in
Sichuan province's Beichuan
county after the quake,
raising fears that the overall
death toll could increase
sharply. State media said a
chemical plant in Shifang city
had cratered, burying hundreds
of people and spilling more
than 80 tons of toxic liquid
ammonia from the site. The
earthquake sent thousands of
people rushing out of
buildings and into the streets
hundreds of miles away in
Beijing and Shanghai. The
temblor was felt as far away
as Vietnam and Thailand. It
posed a challenge to a
government already grappling
with discontent over high
inflation and a widespread
uprising among Tibetans in
western China while trying to
prepare for the Beijing
Olympics this August. US
President George W. Bush on
Monday offered his condolences
to China over a devastating
earthquake that killed
thousands of people and said
the United States 'stands
ready to help.

My thoughts and prayers to all
of the injured, fatalities and
their families.

Category News & Politics

Tags Earthquake, China, Chengdu, Sichuan