Death Toll from 6.6 Magnitude Chinese Earthquake Nears 200

The death toll from a 6.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Sichuan, China, on Saturday has risen to almost 200, according to the website Earthquake-Report.com. The number of injuries from this large quake is over 12,000.

* According to Earthquake-Report.com, the Chinese government has reported the death toll as of Monday morning at 192 and the injury total is 12,211. There is still an uncertain number of missing persons.

* The first 72 hours after the mainshock of an earthquake is considered the "golden time," when rescuers are more likely to find living victims and rescue them from rubble and debris. As the hours since the mainshock go by, it is likely that the death toll and number of injured victims will continue to rise.

* Earthquake-Report.com reported that more than 2,300 aftershocks have been recorded in the region since the mainshock on Saturday.

* Rain that has started is hampering search and rescue efforts in Sichuan's quake zone. In addition to rain, aftershocks and landslides have made conditions difficult.

* Estimates hold that damage totals will be in the $2.5 billion to $3 billion range in U.S. dollars.

* Rescuers from neighboring Russia were expected to arrive sometime on Monday. Earthquake-Report.com reported that 198 rescuers were expected to come to the aid of Chinese emergency workers.

* In the epicentral region of Sichuan, the provincial government reported in a press conference on Sunday that more than 1,800 miles of road and 327 bridges had been damaged by the quake.

* Power lines have been damaged around the region and losses of water service to 10,000 residents of one county was reported.

* Estimates are that 1.5 million people have been affected by this earthquake.

* It is estimated that 500,000 rooms have been damaged and 20,000 rooms have collapsed. These numbers translate to approximately 130,000 homes damaged and 6,000 to 7,000 homes totally collapsed., according to Earthquake-Report.com.

* The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated the depth of the mainshock as 7.6 miles or 12.3 km. This is a very shallow depth for an earthquake, which leads to more surface shaking and greater damage on the surface.

* The region where this deadly earthquake occurred is no stranger to destructive earthquakes. In most recent years, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck on the Longmenshan fault (the same fault believed to have been responsible for Saturday's quake) on May 12, 2008. That quake killed 69,197 people.

Tammy Lee Morris is certified as a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and is a trained Skywarn Storm Spotter through the National Weather Service. She has received interpretive training regarding the New Madrid Seismic Zone through EarthScope -- a program of the National Science Foundation. She researches and writes about emergency preparedness, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, weather and other natural phenomena.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-6-6-magnitude-chinese-earthquake-nears-205400746.html

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