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Dogs hunt for quake survivors
BEIJING, China -- Rescue workers in northwestern China are using sniffer dogs to search for earthquake survivors trapped beneath rubble in freezing conditions. China's official Xinhua news agency reported that strong aftershocks claimed five more lives on Tuesday, including several rescue workers, bringing the death toll to 266. Officials say they fear the toll will rise as they search thousands of destroyed homes. There have been no reports as to the number of people listed as missing. More than 2,000 people were injured in Monday's quake, which hit the western edge of the Xingjiang province at 10.03 a.m. (0203 GMT). The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at 6.3. -- Chinese authorities put at 6.8. The disaster zone stretches through an isolated western section of the Xinjiang region near China's mountainous border with Kyrgyzstan. Almost all the dead were in Bachu County, where flimsy building construction seemed to have contributed to the death toll, officials said. The neighboring county of Jiashi was closer to the epicenter but suffered little damage; its homes have been reinforced following severe quakes in recent years. Authorities in Bachu and Jiashi counties said around 500 locals have been hospitalized, with 300 doctors and nurses called in to care for them. The quake toppled nearly 9,000 homes while hundreds of other buildings were destroyed. There are no immediate figures on how many people were left homeless in the subfreezing temperatures. As many as 9,000 tents and other supplies have been sent to the disaster zone, as well as a special 42-member team from Beijing who brought in dogs trained to hunt for bodies. Rescuers used their bare hands to dig through rubble on Tuesday, fearing heavy equipment could further injure survivors. Many residents were at home eating breakfast when the quake struck.
Some of the dead include children trapped in collapsed school buildings. Around 900 school classrooms were damaged or destroyed in the quake, Xinhua reported. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have dispatched a Beijing-based representative to assess whether an international appeal for aid should be launched. Up to this point, Chinese authorities have not made a request for outside help, but have raised almost $500,000 from within the country. The Red Cross representative was not expected to arrive until Wednesday. China's far west is prone to quakes, but the country's largest quake on record struck the northern city of Tangshan in 1976, killing more than 250,000 people. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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