Beijing: Over 8,500 people were killed today in China's strongest earthquake since 1976, which struck country's southwest Sichuan province as Premier Wen Jiabao appealed for "calm, confidence and courage" in the face of "disaster".

No Indians were affected by the devastating earthquake, Indian embassy sources said here today.

"No problem has been reported so far, as far as Indians are concerned", embassy sources told PTI. The embassy had checked with known contacts in Chengdu and other sources, they said.

Official news agency Xinhua reported that the death toll in China's Sichuan province had risen to 8,500.

It said another 10,000 people were believed hurt in the same county in the devastating tremor.

The shock waves also led to casualties in neighbouring Gansu and Yunnan provinces and Chongqing municipality.

The country's Disaster Relief has initiated a "Level II emergency contingency plan" covering the "second most serious" class of natural disasters to cope with the catastrophe.

Nearly 900 students were also feared buried after a high school building collapsed at Dujiangyan City, about 100 kms from the earthquakes epicenter of Wenchuan County in Sichuan province, Xinhua said. It gave no other immediate details.

"My fellow Chinese, facing such a severe disaster, we need calm, confidence, courage and efficient organisation", Wen said as he flew to affected area to oversee relief work.

The quake jolted vast swathe of China sending waves of panic as thousands of people came out of high rise buildings and poured into the streets in cities including Beijing and Shanghai, where its tallest building Jinamo tower was also evacuated.

 

Source : PTI