The death toll from an earthquake that shook a swath of northern China over the weekend has risen to three and the number of injured has climbed to 1 100, the government said on Monday as authorities worked to shelter people displaced by the tremor.
The magnitude 5,9 quake struck on Saturday evening in eastern Inner Mongolia between the towns of Bairin Zuoqi and Ar Horqin qi, about 350km northeast of Beijing.
The death and injury toll climbed as a 30-member team of state and local officials and seismologists assessed the damage.
Three people have been confirmed dead so far and 1 100 injured, 42 seriously, China Central Television said in its national evening newscast. The State Seismology Bureau measured 78 aftershocks, an official with the agency said.
More than 7 900 houses collapsed and 83 000 more were damaged, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing officials with the Ministry of Civil Affairs. CCTV showed footage of crumbled buildings and people crowded into emergency relief tents, saying thousands were displaced by the quake.
The earthquake caused more than $168-million in economic losses, officials said. Scores were forced to flee their homes when it struck just before 7pm. Earthquakes are rare in Inner Mongolia, a sprawling region that stretches more than 2 000km from its western edge to its northeastern reaches. — Guardian Unlimited Â