China earthquake death toll approaches 400 and continues to rise

A massive earthquake in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan has brought thousands of homes crumbling to the ground. Ludian, a densely populated county that’s located about 277 miles northeast of Kunming, Yunnan’s capital, has had nearly 12,000 homes collapse since the earthquake struck this weekend.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck at approximately 4:30 PM at a depth of six miles, and has killed at least 367 people and injured at least 1,881 more. Both of those numbers are expected to rise as time goes by and rescuers find more people, or bodies, buried in the rubble.

At least 122 people have been killed in Ludian alone, with another 1,300 being injured in the county. An additional 49 people have been killed in Qiajojia county, with another 102 injured and one missing, according to China’s official news agency.

As of Sunday night, rescuers were still working hard to reach victims in the area’s more remote towns and villages. Weibo, a popular Chinese social media site, has exploded with photos of rescuers searching through the remains of building in search of injured civilians.

The Red Cross Society of China has already allocated 2,000 quilts, 2,000 jackets, and 200 tents to aid the victims of the earthquake who have been rendered homeless/ Red Cross branches in Hong Kong, Macau, and the neighboring province of Sichuan have also been sending relief supplies to the victims.

Read more about the story at The Guardian.