Live report: 7.0-magnitude quake hits Sichuan

Good afternoon and welcome to our live rolling coverage of the deadly Sichuan earthquake where we will bring you the latest news as-it-happens. More than 200 people remain dead or missing, nearly 12,000 injured in the remote mountainous villages of the province with 1,000 listed in serious condition. Rain and aftershocks have triggered landslides, hampering rescue efforts in a race against time to help 1.72 million people affected.

16:50

A volunteer provides hot water to rescuers at a middle school used as a temporary service site in quake-hit Baoxing county, Southwest China's Sichuan province, April 22, 2013.

16:25

 

Villagers carrying disaster relief supplies walk in the mountain in quake-hit Shifeng village of Lushan county. The road linking the Shifeng village with the outside had been destroyed by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. Local villagers set up a 300-member group to climb mountains to get relief supplies outside and then return to the village. Over 40 tons of materials had been transported and distributed to over 2,000 villagers.

16:03

Firefighters located 165 people, including 150 survivors, within 72 hours after the quake, the Ministry of Public Security said. The ministry's fire department said firefighters relocated 6,976 people to safety within the first 72 hours after the quake, the period dubbed the "golden time" for saving lives.

15:33

Giant panda habitats near the epicenter of the quake have suffered only minor effects from the natural disaster, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said on Tuesday. Aerial remote sensing images showed that the scale of landslides triggered by the quake in the giant pandas' base located in badly hit Baoxing county, has not been that large so far, said the CAS.

15:27

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has hit back at his critics and said a proposed HK$100 million donation to quake-hit Sichuan was based on "love, care and support for compatriots" and that the administration would bolster supervision over such funds and make sure the money was well spent, South China Morning Post reports.

15:18

BBC's John Sudworth is reporting a large aftershock in Lushan county.

15:00

It has now been 79-hours since the deadly earthquake jolted Sichuan and rescuers continue to search for survivors despite the golden time of 72 hours when the chances of surviving rapidly decrease.

14:42

Forty-four gas stations were damaged and all coal mines were shut down in quake-hit Ya'an in Sichuan province, The Beijing News reported.

14:31

Zhang Zhiyun, 62, died in shielding his 3-year-old grandson from falling wall in Longmen township.

14:20

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US top military officer Martin Dempsey here on Tuesday. The US general offered condolences to victims of the recent earthquake in Sichuan, adding that he appreciated the Chinese military's swift participation in disaster relief there.

14:10

Rescue workers move a quake victim onto a helicopter in Baoxing county of Ya'an city, Sichuan province, April 21. Six helicopters designated by the Chengdu Military Command have helped transferred 18.4 tons of disaster relief supplies, and 42 rescue workers have pulled out 15 victims from the quake zone.

 

12:20

Rain began falling Tuesday morning in Lushan county, hampering relief work and posing new threats such as rain-triggered landslides.

Volunteers set up shelters as rain hits Lushan county, Sichuan province, on April 23, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

11:23

Rescue workers will continue searching for survivors on Tuesday in Lingguan, a hard hit area, although the golden time for rescue has passed, which is within 72 hours after an earthquake, chinanews.com reported, citing the director of the National Earthquake Response Support Service.

10:50

The People's Liberation Army Air Force has finished seven airdrop operations and four transport missions on Tuesday, delivering 17.1 tonnes of relief supplies to the area, including bottled water, instant noodles and other food, the PLAAF headquarters said Tuesday.

A helicopter from the People's Liberation Army Air Force drops food into the farmlands of Baosheng township in Lushan county, Sichuan province, April 22, 2013. [Photo by Liu Yanmin/CFP]

10:23

A total of 3,407 aftershocks have been recorded as of 10 am Tuesday, China Earthquake Networks Center said on Weibo.

10:16

A survivor was just found in the rubble and rescued in Lushan county, China Radio Network reported.

10:00

The death toll from the quake has risen to 193 as of 6 am Tuesday, with 25 missing and 12,211 injured, according to the local civil affairs department.

09:40

Tianquan county, which has a population of 150,000, is still in need of 12,110 tents, 17,100 quilts, 200 generators and relief materials including flashlights, tarpaulins, raincoats, rice, edible oil and bottled water for its more than 100,000 affected people, Beijing Times reported Tuesday.

08:00

A total of 3,333 aftershocks had occurred after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake rattled Lushan county 8:02 am Saturday, China Earthquake Networks Center said on its official weibo account at 8:14 am Tuesday.

Of the total are four aftershocks in magnitude 5.0-5.9 on Richter scale, 21 in magnitudes 4.0—4.9, and 75 in magnitudes 3.0—3.9.

00:19

A total of 19,000 soldiers and officers from China's military and armed police forces have been sent to quake-hit areas in Sichuan province, rushing to find survivors while helping resettle 24,000 locals.

00:10

A total of 2,536 aftershocks have been recorded in quake-hit Lushan county as of 8 pm Beijing time on Monday, local authorities said.