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China earthquake leaves 263 injured

Jiuzhaigou County in the Sichuan Province was struck by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday

© Liu Kun/Xinhua via AP

BEIJING, August 9. /TASS/. The number of people injured during a powerful earthquake in China’s southwestern Sichuan province has reached 263. According to officials in the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, the death toll has remained unchanged - 19 people. Earlier reports said 247 people had been injured.

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According to local officials, 10 people have sustained injuries that are considered grave. Of these, three are in critical condition. Physicians said 253 people had sustained minor injuries.

China’s Jiuzhaigou County in the Sichuan Province was struck by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake at about 21:19 local time (16:19 Moscow time) on Tuesday. The epicenter of the quake was located some 280-300 kilometers away from the provincial capital Chengdu, at the depth of 20 kilometers.

Tremors were also felt in the cities of Lanzhou, Chongqing, Mianyang and Xi'an. About 770 aftershocks were reported within the next few hours. The emergencies headquarters mobilized units of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, People’s Armed Police Force, firefighters, police and people’s militia to deal with the aftermath of the quake.

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