A 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit the rural township of Luding in mountainous Sichuan province on Monday, according to the United States Institute of Geological Studies (USGS).
According to a latest report announced Thursday evening by state television CCTV, 50 people died in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, where the epicenter is located, and 36 in the neighboring township of Shimian.
The weather services issued a yellow alert on Thursday due to moderate rain in the area.
“This rainfall is likely to lead to landslides and mudslides,” they warned. Localized showers are expected to continue Friday.
More than 10,000 rescuers – military, paramilitary and firefighters – participate in rescue operations as well as in the prevention of possible mudslides.
To evacuate the victims, the rescuers sometimes had to hoist them with ropes and stretchers to cross the rivers of this mountainous area.
In torrents, “underwater stones that you can’t see are the biggest threat,” a rescue team member named Tan Ke told CCTV.
“We had water up to our knees and thighs,” he added.
More than 22,000 people have so far been evacuated and sheltered in 124 temporary accommodations, according to the People’s Daily.
In addition, the approximately 1,800 schools in the region reopened normally on Wednesday.
Monday at the time of the earthquake, more than 21,000 students and staff in the township of Shimian had to be evacuated, according to the reference newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party in power.
Hundreds of kilometers of electrical and optical cables were damaged by the earthquake. Communications in the affected areas were however “virtually restored” on Thursday, according to the China Youth Daily.
