Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

China Says Toll May Hit 80,000

UN chief visits hard-hit region, praises recovery

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted May 24, 2008 2:27 PM CDT

(Newser) – Up to 80,000 people may have been killed in Sichuan earthquake, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said today, suggesting that hopes of rescuing any of the approximately 20,000 people listed as missing are just about extinguished. The revision came as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited some of the hardest hit regions. Moon praised China’s recovery efforts, Reuters reports, drawing an unspoken contrast with neighboring Burma’s sluggish cyclone response.

"The Chinese government, at the early stage of this natural disaster, has invested strenuous effort and demonstrated extraordinary leadership," Moon said.

A middle school lies in ruins in Yingxiu, one of the hardest hit towns near the epicenter of the quake.
A middle school lies in ruins in Yingxiu, one of the hardest hit towns near the epicenter of the quake.   (AP Photo/ United Nations,Evan Schneider)
A middle school lies in ruins in Yingxiu, one of the hardest hit towns near the epicenter of the quake.
A middle school lies in ruins in Yingxiu, one of the hardest hit towns near the epicenter of the quake.   (AP Photo)
A Chinese earthquake survivor carries her only remaining possessions that were not lost in the earthquake, as she walks through the ruins of a village in China's southwest Sichuan province.
A Chinese earthquake survivor carries her only remaining possessions that were not lost in the earthquake, as she walks through the ruins of a village in China's southwest Sichuan province.   (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon greets soldiers in Yingxiu, China, one of the hardest hit towns near the epicenter of the quake, which lies in ruins, during a visit on Saturday, May 24, 2008.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon greets soldiers in Yingxiu, China, one of the hardest hit towns near the epicenter of the quake, which lies in ruins, during a visit on Saturday, May 24, 2008.   (AP Photo/United Nations,Evan Schneider)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

China Censors Artist Leading Quake Inquiry

China Orders 3 Days of Mourning, Will Halt Torch

Another Major Aftershock Rocks China

Quake Toll Could Top 50K

Girl Pulled From Quake Rubble After 50 Hours


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne