China earthquake death toll jumps to 56,000
Pastor Dale Morgan
*China earthquake death toll jumps to 56,000*
BBC - The death toll from the massive earthquake in south-west China
rose again, as an official said more than five million buildings had
collapsed.
The vice-governor of Sichuan province said 56,000 people were now known
to have died in the 12 May quake.
Li Chengyun appealed for more tents and set a three-year goal to rebuild
towns and infrastructure in the region.
Meanwhile, concern is growing over a number of new lakes formed by the
force of the earthquake.
Thirty-four lakes were created in the province when landslides blocked
rivers, Xinhua news agency said.
Eight held more than 3 million cubic metres of water and one lake, less
than 3km (two miles) from Beichuan town, had doubled in size in four days.
Officials are monitoring the lakes and have sent experts to assess them,
the agency said.
Forecasters predict heavy rain in the region next week, which could
further raise the water levels in the lakes.
Tent camps
At a news conference, Mr Li said that 30,949 people remained missing and
281,006 were injured.
More than 5.47 million people were homeless and 5.46 million buildings
had collapsed, he said.
On Friday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid his second visit to the
region, visiting the temporary site of Beichuan Middle School.
Beichuan was devastated by the earthquake and officials say the town may
be rebuilt on a new site.
More than 1,000 of the Middle School's students and teachers died in the
earthquake.
"Today when we see the children, we see the hope of the quake areas and
the hope of the whole nation," he told the students.
China has ordered the immediate construction of one million temporary
small homes to house people without shelter.
At the same time bulldozers have been flattening ground to make way for
more tent camps in worst-hit areas.
The foreign ministry says 3.3 million tents are needed and on Thursday,
Chinese President Hu Jintao visited a tent factory to call for increased
production.
China's leaders have promised a 70bn yuan ($10 bn; £5bn) reconstruction
fund.