Possible radioactive traces found from North Korea nuclear test

Possible radioactive traces found from North Korea nuclear test - Radioactive gases that could have come from North Korea's nuclear test in February have unexpectedly been detected, a global monitoring body said on Tuesday, possibly providing the first "smoking gun" evidence of the explosion.

But the April 9 measurement - almost two months after Pyongyang said it had carried out the underground detonation - gave no indication of whether plutonium or highly enriched uranium was used, it said.

The time that had passed before the so-called noble gases were picked up made it "very difficult" to distinguish between the two fissile materials, said spokeswoman Annika Thunborg of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO).

The isolated east Asian state is believed to have tested plutonium bombs in its previous two such blasts, in 2006 and 2009. Any switch to uranium would increase international alarm as it could enable Pyongyang to greatly expand its arsenal.

North Korea threatened nuclear attacks on the United States, South Korea and Japan after new U.N. sanctions were imposed in response to its latest atomic test. But U.S. officials have cast serious doubt on whether it could launch a nuclear missile.

Pyongyang's third nuclear test was registered virtually instantaneously via seismic signals around the world. But no radioactive traces that would have constituted conclusive proof were found in the immediate weeks afterwards.

The Vienna-based CTBTO, which has a worldwide network of monitoring stations, said in mid-March that it was highly unlikely any such radioactivity would be detected.

But Tuesday's statement said it made a significant detection of radioactive noble gases two weeks ago in Takasaki, Japan, about 1,000 km (620 miles) from the test site. Lower levels were picked up at another station in Ussuriysk, Russia.

"Two radioactive isotopes of the noble gas xenon were identified, xenon-131m and xenon-133, which provide reliable information on the nuclear nature of the source," it said.

"Detection of radioactive noble gas more than seven weeks after an event is indeed unusual. We did not expect this and it did not happen in 2009," the CTBTO added, referring to the reclusive country's previous nuclear test.

BOTH BOMB PATHS

Large amounts of xenon gases are produced in fission, a nuclear reaction occurring both in nuclear arms and reactors.

"We are confident that the (North Korean) test site is among the possible source regions," the CTBTO said. But it could still not "exclude completely" that the radioactive traces came from somewhere else.

North Korea's February test yielded a stronger blast than its previous explosion four years ago, and Pyongyang said it had made progress in miniaturizing an atomic weapon, essential to fitting it into the cone of a missile.

Tension on the Korean peninsula soared after the test.

While estimates of the explosive power of the latest test vary, most officials and experts assessed it was at least five kilotons - still smaller than the power of the atomic bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima in World War Two.

North Korea abandoned plutonium production six years ago in response to international pressure, but later acknowledged that it had built facilities to produce enriched uranium, which can also be used in bombs if refined to a high degree.

Experts say plutonium, a byproduct of nuclear reactors, can be difficult to use as bomb material because specifications have to be precise. It could be easy for North Korea to make large quantities of highly enriched uranium.

"It would not surprise me if they have been pursuing both paths to the bomb," Siegfried Hecker, a prominent U.S. scientist who has often visited North Korea, said in an interview published this month on a Stanford University website.

The test-ban treaty was negotiated in the 1990s but has not taken effect because some holders of nuclear technology have not yet ratified it, including the United States and China.

But the CTBTO already monitors possible breaches, deploying about 290 stations around the world to look out for signs of atomic tests, including seismic waves and radioactive traces. ( Reuters )

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Bomb Victim, 7, in Critical Condition

Bomb Victim, 7, in Critical Condition - Several dozen people injured in the Boston Marathon blast remain hospitalized, including a 7-year-old girl who is in critical condition with "multiple leg injuries" as the city observed a moment of silence for the bombing victims. 

The update on the injured was released as services began for the three people who in died in last Monday's bombing. 

Krystle Campbell, 29, was laid to rest today at a private ceremony at St. Joseph's Church in Medford, Mass. 

Good Morning America - Bomb Victim, 7, in Critical Condition (ABC News)

There was concern members of the Westboro Baptist Church, known for their hate speech, would picket the funeral, but the Teamsters Local 25 stepped in to make sure Campbell's family would be shielded. 

"We had the place pretty much locked down," Local 25 President Sean O'Brien told ABCNews.com. "There is no place for anybody that was going to disrupt someone's funeral." 

O'Brien estimated 1,000 Teamsters stood outside the church, ready to take care of business in the event there was a problem. It's not clear if any protesters showed up. 

The parents of Lingzi Lu, the Chinese graduate student killed in the bombing, will attend a memorial service tonight at Boston University before they return home to China with the body of their daughter, a university spokesman told ABCNews.com. 

Lu's parents departed for the United States on Friday to pick up their daughter's remains, China's official Xinhua news agency reported. Lu was the only child in a family adhering to China's one-child policy. 

At least $560,000 has been committed to a scholarship fund established in Lu's name, according to the university. 

It's not clear yet when the funeral for the third bombing victim, 8-year-old Martin Richard, will be held. The boy's family is also coping with injuries to his 7-year-old sister, Jane, who lost a leg in the blast, and the boy's mother, Denise, was also gravely injured. 

The Children's Hospital of Boston declined to identify the 7-year-old girl they said was still in critical condition, and the Richard family declined to comment. 

The bombing killed three and injured at least 170 people. Of the injured, 48 remained hospitalized, and two were in critical condition, according to an ABC News count. The identity of the second victim in critical condition was not known. 

Among those still in the hospital were Erika Brannock and her sister, Nicole Gross. Gross' brother-in-law told ABC News last week that doctors had to amputate below Brannock's knee. He said Gross, his sister-in-law, was undergoing a series of surgeries as pins hold the bones together in one of her legs. 

The family did not disclose where Gross and Brannock were being treated. 

A moment of silence was observed today at 2:50 pm EST, marking exactly one week to the minute when the first bomb detonated, to honor the victims of the attack. It was followed by the sound of bells. 

Doctors said some of their most critical patients had sustained lower extremity injuries, include bone and vascular trauma, and some required life-saving amputations. 

Dr. Jeffrey Kalish, director of endovascular surgery at Boston Medical Center, said today all of the hospital's amputation patients were "on the road to recovery." 

"It takes a lot of work and they have to learn new routines, but we are gearing up for a mass exodus to rehab," he said. "Everything is starting to return to a normal state." 

While physical recovery is one hurdle, victims will also have to deal with the mental scars, Terence Keane, a psychiatrist at Boston University School of Medicine said. 

"Recovery from this," he said, "psychologically is a marathon."  ( abc news )

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What next for Boston bombing suspect?

What next for Boston bombing suspect? - A decision to charge the Boston Marathon bombing suspect in a civilian rather than a military court means he will face the same legal process as other federal criminal defendants in U.S. courts. 

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was charged on Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property resulting in death. 

The White House said earlier that Tsarnaev, an ethnic Chechen who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, would not be treated as an enemy combatant for his alleged role in last week's bomb attacks, which killed three people and wounded more than 200. 

These are the likely next steps in his case, legal experts said. 

Patimat Suleimanova, aunt of Boston bombing suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, looks at photos from a family album at her house in Makhachkala, April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer

INDICTMENT, PLEA NEGOTIATIONS 

After a defendant is charged by a complaint, prosecutors then typically take their evidence to a grand jury and seek a formal indictment. 

If the grand jury returns an indictment on the weapons-of-mass-destruction charge, which can carry the death penalty, the court will appoint lawyers with experience in death penalty cases, said Kelly Currie, a former federal prosecutor in New York who oversaw violent crime and terrorism cases. 

Plea negotiations are likely to begin almost immediately, given the apparent evidence against Tsarnaev. 

"If defense counsel is convinced the case against her client is exceptionally strong, speaking about a plea or possible cooperation is something defense counsel will be considering," said Michael Rosensaft, another former federal prosecutor from New York. 

Prosecutors also will be deciding whether or not to seek the death penalty. That decision is expected within weeks, and the prosecution and defense will be given an opportunity to weigh in on any mitigating or aggravating factors. The ultimate determination will be made by the U.S. attorney general. 

Prosecutors will move quickly to make that assessment, since "that obviously changes the tone of the case," Rosensaft said. Tsarnaev's attorney also may use a guilty plea as leverage to ask the government to take the death penalty off the table. 

Three attorneys from the Massachusetts federal public defenders office - Miriam Conrad, Timothy Watkins and William Fick - were listed as representing Tsarnaev in court filings. The office did not immediately return a call for comment Monday evening. 

Conrad filed a motion late Monday seeking the appointment of at least two attorneys with experience in death-penalty cases. U.S. law requires that at least one experienced attorney be appointed in every potential capital case. "Given the magnitude of this case," Conrad said it would be appropriate to appoint at least two additional lawyers with death penalty experience, in addition to his federal defenders, according to the motion. 

Tsarnaev's attorneys also may use access to their client as a bargaining chip. If prosecutors want to find out if he has any valuable information to offer, defense attorneys may be able to leverage that during plea negotiations, Currie said. 

"It's a delicate discussion and it goes back and forth," he said. 

DISCOVERY 

Both sides will begin the discovery process, meaning they will start compiling evidence. If the case against Tsarnaev includes any potentially classified information that could impact national security, then prosecutors could ask a judge to keep that under seal. 

Prosecutors also will have to disclose any evidence that might exonerate or mitigate the case against Tsarnaev to defense counsel. 

Since law enforcement officials sought the public's help during the investigation, they have likely received thousands of tips that will need to be examined to see if any of them could suggest Tsarnaev is innocent, or that others were involved, Currie said. If so, prosecutors will have to turn that over to the defense. 

"There's a huge amount of information that the government is going to have to sort through and provide to the defense," Currie said. "It's a huge challenge for both prosecution and defense teams." 

CIVILIAN COURTS MORE TRANSPARENT 

Some Republican lawmakers had called on the Obama administration to designate Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant, which would have restricted his rights. The enemy combatant status arose in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, and some suspects so-designated have been detained at a U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. 

But White House spokesman Jay Carney said that was off the table. "Under U.S. law, United States citizens cannot be tried in military commissions," Carney said. 

The biggest difference between a trial in civilian court and before a military commission is transparency, Rosensaft said. 

"With this case, there's so much evidence that's publicly available, that the public already knows, that I don't think airing that evidence against him in federal court would implicate any national security concerns," Rosensaft said. 

If Tsarnaev pleads guilty and eschews a trial, it is possible much of prosecutors' evidence against him may never become public, beyond the massive amount of photo, video and other evidence that has already circulated publicly. 

By charging him in federal court, prosecutors may also open themselves open to a motion from the defense to suppress any statements made to law enforcement after his arrest. 

This is because officials did not read him his Miranda rights immediately. A transcript of the bedside hearing in the hospital on Monday showed he was read his rights then. 

Tsarnaev was captured last Friday after a massive manhunt and was taken to a hospital in Boston with gunshot wounds following gunfights with police. 

The Miranda issue would mostly impact any statements made by Tsarnaev to police after his arrest, but not the photos, video and other evidence linking him to the crime that has already been compiled, legal experts said. 

Enemy combatants do not typically need to be read their Miranda rights - but even in civilian cases, Miranda warnings can be waived for a limited window of time under the so-called public safety exception. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that law enforcement officials can engage in a limited and focused interrogation without warning the suspect, if they believe public safety is at stake. 

Judges likely will be sympathetic to the exception invoked by authorities, given the fear at the time that other attacks may have been planned. It also is unclear what statements, if any, Tsarnaev, who was badly wounded, made to law enforcement before his attorney came into the case. 

His injuries included throat wounds and it was not clear how much he communicated with anyone before the complaint was filed. 

But "if there's any statement they want to use against him," the Miranda issue is "something defense counsel will be fixated on," Rosensaft said. ( Reuters ) 

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China Quake: Over 11,000 People Injured

China Quake: Over 11,000 People Injured - The death toll in the Chinese earthquake is expected to rise above 200 today as rescuers find more bodies under rubble.

More than 11,000 people are confirmed to have been injured after the earthquake struck China's Sichuan province.

Chinese news agency Xinhua said the quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, struck at 8.02am local time on Saturday close to the city of Ya'an in Lushan county.

The epicentre had a depth of a little less than eight miles (13km).

The quake triggered landslides and destroyed buildings. A major rescue operation involving emergency services and more than 6,000 troops has worked through the night to reach trapped people in various communities across the region.

The rescue effort is understood to have been hampered by aftershocks. Some of the tremors that followed the main quake have been almost as strong.

According to local media reports, a vehicle carrying 17 soldiers fell off a cliff and into a river as it travelled to the epicentre. One soldier was killed and seven more injured, three seriously.

But extraordinary stories of survival are already emerging. According to one local media report, a mother managed to lift concrete weighing 50kg to rescue her son from the rubble.

Another report described how a woman gave birth at a bike shelter just a few hours after the quake hit.

And remarkable TV footage from one collapsed building shows rescue workers pulling a tiny baby alive from the rubble. The child's mother was also saved.

Tremors were felt in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital city of Chengdu. Users of Weibo, China's microblogging service, have posted images of damaged buildings and described scenes of panic as residents rushed outside.

Local seismologists registered the quake at magnitude 7.0 while the US Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.6.

The USGS said "significant" casualties were likely and "extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread."

A Chinese general, flying over the region in a helicopter, told local media that as many as 50% of buildings in one area had collapsed.

China's new Premier Li Keqiang has visited the region to survey the damage.

The quake is the first big test for the new Chinese leadership. Their ability to respond to it is likely to be scrutinised on an ever growing social media forum.

The epicentre is close to the location of the 2008 earthquake which killed 68,000 people. That quake had a greater magnitude of 7.9 but its epicentre was further underground.

The 2008 disaster destroyed large swathes of the province along with areas of neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu. The government faced significant criticism for allowing badly constructed buildings to be erected and for covering up their failings.

This time, early indications suggest a much better level of preparedness.

Cai Jing, the Deputy Secretary-General of Sichuan's Provincial Government, attempted to reassure people at a late news conference last night.

"The main road sections in Lushan County have been reopened," he said.

"Hospitals in the province are ready to receive and transport the injured. A total of 28,971 rescuers from 95 professional rescue teams with 933 sets of equipment have been dispatched," he told reporters at the briefing in Chengdu City.

"At present, about 13,466 rescuers have arrived at the epicentre and 2,058 others are heading to the area. In addition, 13,547 rescuers are put on standby."

Better technology is also helping the authorities. For the first time, unmanned drones are being used over the disaster zone to send back pictures and assess damage.

But new technology is also putting increased pressure on the authorities. This is the first natural disaster in China in the "Weibo era". The Twitter-like social media phenomenon has allowed "netizens" to openly criticise the government for failings.

International offers of assistance have already been received.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague sent the condolences of the nation.

"My thoughts are also with the Chinese authorities and the emergency services as they continue their rescue efforts. We are in contact with local authorities through our Consulate-General in Chongqing and will continue to follow the situation closely," he said.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin sent China's President Xi Jinping a telegram expressing his condolences and offering help. ( Sky News )

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Earthquake kills 157, injures 5,700 in China's Sichuan

Earthquake kills 157, injures 5,700 in China's Sichuan - China's worst earthquake in three years on Saturday killed at least 157 people and injured more than 5,700, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.

The magnitude 6.6 quake hit a remote mountainous area of southwestern China's Sichuan province at 8:02 a.m. (0002 GMT), close to where an earthquake killed almost 70,000 people in 2008.

The quake struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an, at a depth of 12 km (7.5 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt in the provincial capital, Chengdu, and in neighbouring provinces, causing many people to rush out of buildings, according to social network posts.

Reuters/Reuters - China's Premier Li Keqiang (C) visits after a strong earthquake hits Lushan county, Ya'an, Sichuan province, April 20, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer

Most of the deaths were concentrated in Lushan. Pictures on Chinese news sites showed toppled buildings and people in bloodied bandages being treated in tents outside the 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.

"The first 72 hours is the golden period for rescue," Li told officials, the Xinhua news agency reported. "We cannot delay by a minute."

"Under the strong leadership of the party and the government, as long as we unite as one, and conduct the rescue in a scientific way, then there will be the conditions and the ability to minimise the losses to the greatest degree and to overcome the disaster," Li said.

Chen Yong, the vice director of the Ya'an city government earthquake response office, told reporters: "We believe the number (of deaths) could rise somewhat, but it won't rise by much."

Xinhua said 6,000 troops were in the area to help with rescue efforts. State television CCTV said only emergency vehicles were being allowed into Ya'an, although Chengdu airport had reopened.

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

"We are very busy right now, there are about eight or nine injured people, the doctors are handling the cases," said a doctor at a Ya'an hospital who gave her family name as Liu.

The hospital was treating head and leg injuries, she said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was in discussions with the Red Cross Society of China on whether international support was needed.

LANDSLIDE WARNING

The China Meteorological Association warned of the possibility of landslides in Lushan county on Saturday and Sunday.

Lushan recorded 789 aftershocks after the earthquake, the China Earthquake Administration said.

A resident in Chengdu, 140 km (85 miles) from Ya'an city, told Xinhua he was on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

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 centres for protecting the giant panda.

"There are still shakes and tremors and our area is safe. The pandas are safe," said a spokesman for Ya'an's Bifengxia nature park which houses more than 100 pandas.

Shouts and screams were heard in the background while Reuters was on the telephone with the spokesman.

"There was just an aftershock, an aftershock, our office is safe," he said.

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. The devastating May 2008 quake was magnitude 7.9.

In 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake killed 2,700 people in Yushu, a largely Tibetan region in northwest China. ( Reuters )

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Sichuan Earthquake Kills At Least 179

Sichuan Earthquake Kills At Least 179 - At least 179 people are believed to have been killed and more than 6,700 injured after an earthquake struck China's province of Sichuan.

Chinese news agency Xinhua said the quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, struck at 8.02am local time close to the city of Ya'an in Lushan county and the epicentre had a depth of a little less than eight miles (13km).

It started landslides, destroyed buildings, and triggered a major rescue operation involving emergency services and more than 2,000 troops.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more injured in a series of strong earthquakes in China's Sichuan province. Sky's Mark Stone reports

The rescue effort is understood to have been hampered by aftershocks and landslides. Some of the tremors which followed the main quake have been almost as strong.

According to local media reports, a vehicle carrying 17 soldiers fell off a cliff and into a river as it travelled to the epicentre. One soldier was killed and seven more injured, three seriously.

But extraordinary stories of survival are already emerging. According to one local media report, a mother managed to lift concrete weighing 50kg to rescue her son from the rubble.

Another report described how a woman gave birth at a bike shelter just a few hours after the quake hit. 

According to the People's Daily newspaper, fire-fighters dug out a mother holding her baby in her arms from the rubble. She survived, but her baby sadly died.

Tremors have been felt in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital city of Chengdu. Users of Weibo, China's microblogging service, have posted images of damaged buildings and described scenes of panic as residents rushed outside.

A resident in Chengdu said he was on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

Local seismologists registered the quake at magnitude 7.0 while the US Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.6.

The USGS said "significant" casualties were likely and "extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread".

"Past events with this alert level have required a national or international-level response," it added.

A Chinese General, flying over one area in a helicopter, told local media that as many as 50 percent of buildings in one area had collapsed.

China's new Premiere Li Keqiang is flying to the region to survey the damage. The quake is the first big test for the new Chinese leadership. Their ability to respond to it is likely to be scrutinised on an ever growing social media forum.

The epicentre is close to the location of the 2008 earthquake which killed 68,000 people. That quake had a greater magnitude of 7.9 but its epicentre was further underground.

The 2008 disaster destroyed large swathes of the province along with areas of neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu. The government faced significant criticism for allowing badly constructed buildings to be erected and for covering up their failings.

International offers of assistance have already been received.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague sent the condolences of the nation.

Mr Hague said: "Today's events will no doubt bring back terrible memories of the catastrophic earthquake in the same province in 2008.

"My thoughts are also with the Chinese authorities and the emergency services as they continue their rescue efforts. We are in contact with local authorities through our Consulate-General in Chongqing and will continue to follow the situation closely." 

The Russian President Vladimir Putin sent China’s President Xi Jinping a telegram expressing his condolences and offering help.

Twin tremors in neighbouring Yunnan province last September triggered landslides that left at least 80 people dead.

A 5.5 magnitude quake in Yunnan last June killed four people and injured more than 100.

Another 5.4 tremor the year before near the border with Burma left 25 people dead and injured 250. ( Sky News )

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Reporter Covers China Quake In Wedding Dress

Reporter Covers China Quake In Wedding Dress - A reporter from a local Chinese TV station has interrupted her own wedding to cover the news of the powerful earthquake that struck the city of Ya'an.

Chen Ying was getting her make-up done at a local photographic studio ahead of her wedding ceremony when the quake hit.

The bride sprung into action and started to interview people on the street - without initially realising the full extent of the disaster.

"I am standing at the Holiday Plaza. Fifteen minutes ago, a strong quake struck.

"But there haven't been casualties in this area where I am standing," she said in her piece to camera.

"Our residents in Ya'an have taken effective measures to prevent damages. I hope our city will be safe."

Ms Chen, who appeared on air wearing her wedding dress and veil, went viral online, with many viewers calling her the "most beautiful bride in the world".

She asked one woman what she was doing when the quake struck, to which the interviewee replied: "I was getting fuel for my car.

"My first feeling was this earthquake was stronger than the May 12 quake (in 2008).

"I feel pretty calm now. I feel much better after going through the May 12 earthquake."

Ms Chen asked another unidentified woman whether she was still scared, to which she replied: "Yes, I am still a bit in shock. I called around trying to find out where the epicentre is."

After conducting 10 minutes of interviews on the street, Ms Chen continued with her wedding - and went back to work after the brief ceremony.

The Ya'an quake on Saturday killed at least 186 people and injured more than 11,000 as well as leaving two dozen missing.

It was the worst in China since the 2008 disaster, which saw around 68,000 people lose their lives.

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China earthquake toll rises to 164, injuries at 6,700

China earthquake toll rises to 164, injuries at 6,700 - Rescuers 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. 

The 6.6 magnitude quake struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an in the southwestern province of Sichuan, at a depth of 12 km (7.5 miles), close to where a devastating 7.9 temblor hit in May 2008 killing some 70,000. 

Reuters/Reuters - A view of a collapsed building with a sign reading, "Lushan Kindergarden" after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern China's Sichuan province is seen in this April 20, 2013 still image taken from TV. REUTERS/China Central Television (CCTV) via REUTERS TV

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. ( Reuters ) 

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