China has reopened roads leading to the epicenter of Monday’s 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the southwestern province of Sichuan and traffic has resumed, state media reported on Wednesday, while the death toll has risen to 74.
In addition, a total of 259 people were injured in the disaster and 26 remained missing as of Tuesday night, the People’s Daily reported.
The strongest earthquake to hit the province since 2017 destroyed numerous buildings and caused severe damage to power and water infrastructure as well as telecommunications.
Rescuers had rushed to reach stranded people, restore utilities and send emergency relief, while 11,000 people were evacuated on Tuesday from Luding county, where the quake was centered.
Early on Wednesday, China Earthquake Networks Centre recorded a magnitude 3 aftershock at the epicenter, at a depth of 12 km (7.5 miles).
Weather forecasters have also warned of the prospect of heavy rains in the region until Friday.
(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; editing by Lincoln Feast and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Photograph: In this photo provided by China’s Xinhua News Agency, fallen rocks are seen on a road near Lengqi Town in Luding County of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. A strong earthquake killed multiple people, triggered landslides and shook residents in a major city under lockdown in southwestern China on Monday, state media reported. Photo credit: Xinhua via AP.
Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters China
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