Quake death toll nears 15,000
15 May 2008
The official estimate for the death toll from the May 12 earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan province reached 14,463 early on Thursday morning, Reuters reported. The total is expected to rise further as rescue workers continue to pick through rubble in towns devastated by the quake. There had been concerns that a dam near Dujiangyan, Sichuan, had been severely damaged, but state media later reported that investigations showed the Zipingpu dam remained stable. The government announced that 90 helicopters would be added to the 20 already operating in earthquake-hit areas to assist in rescue efforts. More than 14,000 people are still listed as missing, with nearly 26,000 still buried in debris.
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