China releases number of dead, missing students from Sichuan quake

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-08-2009 13:44

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It's been almost a year since an earthquake measuring eight on the Richter scale struck southwest China's Sichuan Province. Local officials have released the latest casualty figures.

Participating in a press conference in Chengdu on May 7,  2009, the officials of Sichuan Province stand in silent  tribute to victims and soldiers on rescuing work who lost their lives in a magnitude-8.0 earthquake on May 12  last year, with the province at the epicenter.

The death toll remains at a little more than 68,700 and nearly 18,000 are still missing. Among the dead and missing were more than 5,300 students. Nearly another 550 students were disabled. So far, Sichuan has received about 15-and-a-half billion yuan, or over 2 billion US dollars, in quake donations. The provincial government got about nine billion yuan, while the rest was forwarded to prefectures and counties.

Editor:Zhang Ning