Death toll in China's Sichuan earthquake continues to climb

The death toll in the earthquake in China, according to latest figures had increased to 179 and may continue to climb. Thousands of people were wounded, local TV channels reported.

Photo: Itar-Tass photo

The devastating earthquake measuring 7 on Richter scale occurred in the south-western  Sichuan province of China on early Saturday morning. According to experts, the center of the earthquake was located at the depth of about 13 kilometers. The quake ruined several settlements at once.

The number of victims rises almost every hour. The exact number of casualties in the disaster has not been established yet. Reportedly, nearly 6,000 people have been wounded.

The Russian Embassy has requested information about the possible presence of Russian citizens among the victims. For the time being, there is no information on casualties among Russians.

On Sunday, in the Chinese province of Sichuan, another earthquake occurred. According to media reports, up to 5.9 magnitude tremors were recorded at 04.53 a.m. MSK.