RESCUE OPS ON AFTER CHINA’S SICHUAN HIT BY STRONG QUAKE

BEIJING: Rescue operations were on in full swing in a remote area of China’s Sichuan province on Wednesday after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake killed at least 19 people and injured more than 200.

A French man and a Canadian woman were among those injured by the temblor late on Tuesday, state media reported.

The quake was felt in the provincial capital of Chengdu, 300 km away, and authorities fear casualties could rise.

The epicentre of the quake was in Jiuzhaigou county, a remote area of the large province. The tremors triggered panic in the area, with residents rushing out of their homes.

“Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, is a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations. More than 34,000 people visited the tourist attraction on Tuesday,” official Xinhua news agency reported. Jiuzhaigou county has dispatched more than 90 emergency vehicles and 1,200 personnel to participate in rescue operations. Authorities also sent consultants to hotels and rural inns to offer counselling to tourists, the report said.

Official media also reported that the Western Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army had activated an emergency response and was ready for rescue operations.

Sichuan has a history of deadly earthquakes. In May 2008, an 8.0-magnitude quake struck Wenchuan and killed more than 80,000 people.