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No reports of Singaporeans injured in China quake
Posted: 12 May 2008 2214 hrs

  Chinese workers rush out onto the streets in Chengdu after an earthquake measuring 7.8 rocked Sichuan province
 
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Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said so far there has been no reports of any Singaporean being injured in China's earthquake on Monday.

In response to media queries, MFA said it was closely monitoring the situation in Sichuan Province after it was struck by a 7.8 magnitude quake in the afternoon.

It said, "Our Missions have been in touch with the Chinese authorities, and will continue to establish contact with the Singaporean community in the affected areas."

A Singaporean who works at the China World Trade Center in Beijing called MediaCorp to share his experience of the quake.

Mr Philip Loh said he heard an "explosion" at about 2.30pm, but no action was taken by authorities as they had assumed the noise came from a nearby construction site.

However, when they heard a second "explosion" moments later and the building shook, everyone was evacuated from the office towers, he said. Mr Loh added that no one was hurt and work resumed half an hour later, at about 3pm.

Channel NewsAsia checked with several travel agencies and found that Singaporean tour groups in the affected areas are also safe. They said they felt the tremors, but were not in any danger.

One of the tour agencies said it would continue with its tours, but may change some of the routes.

Agencies whose tour groups were supposed to return on Monday said flights have been delayed as airports in Sichuan are closed. They are expected to return on Tuesday.

An engineering expert told Channel NewsAsia this is one of the worst earthquakes in the area for the past hundred years - and he expects the death toll to rise.

Professor Pan Tso-Chien, Dean, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, said: "I wouldn't be completely surprised if there are more fatalities reported, as we discover more, as we go into more places with buildings that have collapsed, or roads which have blocked that we cannot get in.

"And by counting the numbers, I have a hunch that the numbers would climb. And as time goes, it may climb even faster before we reach the area." - CNA/al

 


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