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The death toll in the devastating earthquake that jolted northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Monday had risen to 268 by Thursday, according to latest figures from the regional seismological bureau.
Sources with the bureau confirmed that the 6.8 magnitude quake that hit Jiashi and Bachu counties caused the most casualties in Xinjiang's history.
Thanks to immediate and effective rescue efforts, quake survivors have begun rebuilding their homes and lives.
Xinjiang is an earthquake-prone area. However, thanks to the fact that the region is sparsely populated and most locals live in traditional tents, yurts and thatched cottages, death tolls in the past have been low.
Monday's quake jolted relatively densely populated oasis areas. The fact that the quake-hit areas are located on the fringes of the Taklimakan Desert where the earth is not firm and most houses have no foundations, helped cause the high number of casualties, according to bureau sources.
(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2003)
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