May quake causes USD121 bln in damage

Source: CCTV.com | 09-04-2008 16:04

It's feared the death toll in the 8-magnitude earthquake in Wenchuan County on the May 12th will top 87,000. Direct economic losses hit over 845 billion yuan, or over 120 billion US dollars.

Experts say the southwestern province of Sichuan suffered the worst, over 90 percent of the total losses. Neighboring provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi accounted for the rest.

Officials acknowledge possible quality problems with some school buildings which were damaged during the quake, owing to a rush of construction in recent years. Experts also say strong aftershocks may continue, but the possibility of anything over 6.5 magnitude is slim.

Editor:Zhang Ning