1.20 lakh people affected by quakes in China

Beijing: Over 1.20 lakh people have been affected by a string of earthquakes in China`s Yunnan Province in the past few days, state media reported on Monday.

The government of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Deqen said the 5.9 quake which hit the province on August 28 and 31, respectively, have caused a direct economic loss of nearly 1.5 billion yuan (USD 240 million) and affected more than 1.20 lakh people there. According to statistics released by the government, three were killed and 44 others injured in the counties of Shangri-La and Deqen, the worst-hit areas in the quakes. Following the two quakes followed by 753 aftershocks in the prefecture, 596 houses there have collapsed, and 14,359 houses and more than 870 km of road have been damaged. Quake and aftershock-triggered landslides have also suspended telecommunication, power and water supply in Deqen. Meanwhile, about 393 tourists are still trapped in a scenic spot in Shangri-La County, where roads were damaged by the 5.9-magnitude quake, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Armed police are making efforts to repair the road. The government said the tourists have access to sufficient water and food and that they are expected to be rescued by tomorrow. PTI