The story

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said Friday that a devastating earthquake in southwest China destroyed or heavily damaged 436,000 properties leading to 4.8 million homeless, according to official figures.

At a news conference in the U.S. capital, Wang Baodong said the disaster had led to 500 deaths outside Sichuan province, the hardest-hit area. The official death toll now stands at 22,000, with 14,000 still buried.

A German has been confirmed as among those killed by Monday's quake, said Baodong. Another German provided good news on Saturday. A German tourist was rescued after being buried for 114 hours in Wenchuan, the quake epicenter, Xinhua reported.

The suffering of Sichuan's inhabitants has been prolonged by repeated aftershocks, some 4,400 since the quake hit, according to Baodong.

The latest aftershock hit quake-damaged areas Friday, triggering landslides, blocking roads, knocking out phone lines and burying vehicles, state-run media reported. Read full article »

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All About U.S. National Earthquake Information Center • China • Sichuan Province • Wen Jiabao