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China Says 180,000 Evacuated After Earthquake |
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| CHINA: June 5, 2007 | ||
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BEIJING - Around 180,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in China's southwest, following a powerful earthquake that killed at least three and injured 313, the official Xinhua agency said on Monday.
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The tremor shook the tea-producing city of Pu'er and the surrounding area in mountainous Yunnan province early on Sunday morning when most people were asleep, bringing down over 90,000 rooms and crushing a 4-year old boy. It was followed by hundreds of aftershocks and experts say more could follow. Overall, more than half a million people were affected and direct economic losses are estimated at around 2.5 billion yuan (US$326.9 million). Most of the evacuees are living in tents or public buildings, and 28 who were seriously injured are still in hospital, the report said, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Disaster workers say their biggest challenge is lack of drinking water, after the disaster destroyed pipes. Pu'er, home of the tea of the same name, lies near to the border with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Earthquakes are common in China. In August last year, a 5.1 magnitude quake rocked Yunnan, killing two people. (US$1=7.648 yuan)
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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