China: Death toll from earthquake rises to 398
The country said it had sent thousands of police officers, soldiers, and firefighters to the disaster site; Prime Minister Li Keqiang visited the area on Monday and urged swift action to locate the missing and those trapped in the rubble.
BEIJING (Reuters) The death toll from a magnitude 6,3 earthquake that struck southwest China on Sunday has risen to 398, state media reported on Monday.
China said it has sent thousands of police officers, soldiers, and firefighters to the disaster site. Premier Li Keqiang visited the area on Monday, the state news agency Xinhua reported, and urged swift action to locate the missing and those trapped in the rubble.
An earthquake in a remote region of Yunnan province caused thousands of buildings, including schools, to collapse, Xinhua reported.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the city of Longtoushan, in the mountainous Ludian district.
Earthquakes are common in the region. An earthquake in Sichuan province, also in southwestern China, killed more than 70 people in 2008.
(Reporting by Megha Rajagopalan)