China quake leaves scores dead;people buried under two chem plants

摘要

Beijing,Singapore - A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale,has hit southwestern China,May 12,leaving tens of thousands of people dead or missing in and around Sichuan.Initial reports from the state news agency Xinhua said that an estimated 3,000-5,000 people were killed in just one county of Sichuan province,while local reports put the number at around 10,000 people.