Quake kills at least 164, injures more than 6,700 in China

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China's worst earthquake in three years on Saturday killed at least 157 people and injured more than 5,700. NBC's Ian Williams reports. By Michael Martina, ReutersRescuers poured into a remote corner of southwestern China on Sunday as  the death toll from the country's worst earthquake in three years  climbed to 164 with more than 6,700 injured, state media said.

Follow @NBCNewsWorldThe  6.6 magnitude quake struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an in  the southwestern province of Sichuan, at a depth of 7.5 miles,  close to where a devastating 7.9 temblor hit in May 2008 killing some  70,000.

Most of the deaths were concentrated in Lushan, a short  drive up the valley from Ya'an, but rescuers' access was hampered by the  narrowness of the road and landslides.

"The Lushan county  centre is getting back to normal, but the need is still considerable in  terms of shelter and materials," said Kevin Xia of the International  Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.  


"Supplies  have had difficulty getting into the region because of the traffic jams.  Most of our supplies are still on the way," Xia said.

Pictures  on state television showed toppled buildings and people in bloodied  bandages being treated in tents outside the Lushan hospital. Water and  electricity in the area were cut off by the quake.

Premier Li Keqiang flew into the disaster zone by helicopter to voice support for the rescue operation.

Chen  Yong, the vice director of the Ya'an city government earthquake  response office, told reporters that the death toll was unlikely to rise  by much more.

"We understand the situation in most areas. Most  of the casualties have been reported. In some remote mountain areas, it  is possible that we don't fully understand the situation," he said.

Schools withstand quake

But  no schools had collapsed, unlike in 2008 when many schools crumpled  causing huge public anger, prompting a nationwide campaign of  re-building.

"Our schools are the safest and sturdiest  buildings," Chen said. "The Chinese government has put a lot of money  into building schools and hospitals. I can guarantee that no schools  collapsed."

Xinhua said 6,000 troops were in the area to help with rescue efforts.

Rescuers  in Lushan had pulled 91 survivors out of rubble, Xinhua said. In  villages closest to the epicenter, almost all low-rise buildings had  collapsed, footage on state television showed.

The China  Meteorological Association warned of the possibility of landslides in  Lushan county, with more than 1,000 aftershocks registered.

Ya'an  is a city of 1.5 million people and is considered one of the  birthplaces of Chinese tea culture. It is also the home to one of  China's main centers for protecting the giant panda.

Sichuan is  one of the four major natural gas-producing provinces in China, and its  output accounts for about 14 percent of the nation's total.

Sinopec Group, Asia's largest oil refiner, said its huge Puguang gas field was unaffected.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially put the magnitude at 7, but later revised it down.

In 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake killed 2,700 people in Yushu, a largely Tibetan region in northwest China.Slideshow: Earthquake in ChinaAPNurses help an injured man at a temporary treatment station following an earthquake in Ya'an, China, on April 20. Launch slideshowThis story was originally published on Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:55 PM EDT

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