Major earthquake hits Southwestern China

A 7.5 quake just hit China's Sichuan province, about 60 miles outside of capital city Chengdu (incidentally, the city many foreign visitors -- including me, not too long ago -- fly into when traveling into Tibet). Link to USGS data, and Link to Google Map showing location, which is about 900 miles SW of Beijing. (thanks, Mike Outmesguine!)

Update: Rebecca McKinnon twitters that CCTV is reporting more than 7600 people have died.

[#1 posted by bnt , May 12, 2008 7:48 AM]

It's looking pretty major. If you go to the Pager details for that quake on the USGS site, it shows estimates of population exposed to it. If correct, over 100,000 people felt it at severity X (extreme), the maximum on their scale. From VIII (severe) to X, over a million people were affected. Not good, but according to reports the response by the Chinese government has been very quick.

[#2 posted by Bonnie , May 12, 2008 11:28 AM]

The Olympics just got more interesting....

[#3 posted by colababy , May 13, 2008 9:52 AM]

Bonnie, that's such a cold thing to say. My heart and prayers go out to all affected by the earthquake.

[#4 posted by hemidemisemiquaver , May 13, 2008 7:58 PM]

I just found out that my friend living in Chengdu is all right. Big Sigh of Relief.