View source for UPDATE 7-Quake In China apos;s Sichuan Kills 19 Including Tourists;...

<br>By Christian Shepherd<br> <br>JIUZHAIGOU, China, Aug 9 (Reuters) - A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote, mountainous part of China's southwestern province of Sichuan, killing 19 people, including eight tourists, and injuring 247, the provincial government and official media said on Wednesday.<br> <br>The quake hit a sparsely populated area 200 km (120 miles) northwest of the city of Guangyuan late on Tuesday at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), the U.S.<br><br>Geological Survey said. It was also close to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a tourist destination.<br> <br>Sichuan is frequently struck by tremors. A huge quake there in May 2008 killed almost 70,000 people.<br> <br>A separate quake of magnitude 6.6 hit a remote part of China's far northwestern region of Xinjiang, more than 2,000 km (1,240 miles) away, on Wednesday, the Chinese earthquake administration said.<br><br>The People's Daily said 32 people had been injured in the mostly rural area.<br> <br>The Sichuan government said rescuers were gradually evacuating tourists and residents who had been cut off by landslides.<br> <br>It added that 19 people had been killed, but most of those injured were not seriously hurt.<br> <br>The dead included eight tourists, two residents and nine whose identities have yet to be confirmed, state television said.<br> <br>In nearby Longnan in the neighbouring province of Gansu, also jolted by the quake, eight people died in landslides caused by heavy rain, the People's Daily said.<br> <br>The Sichuan government added that 45,000 tourists had been evacuated from the [http://www.martindale.com/Results.aspx?ft=2&frm=freesearch&lfd=Y&afs=quake%20zone quake zone] with just 1,000 more still waiting to leave.<br> <br>A few dozen tourists were camped out at Jiuzhaigou airport, waiting for flights.<br><br>The airport was open and beginning to evacuate people by air, state media said.<br> <br>A traveller with a young daughter who gave his family name as Li said he was in his hotel when the earthquake hit.<br> <br>"The walls and floor shook. Some things fell off the table," he said.<br> <br>Some people were injured in the hotel but most were fine.<br> <br>"The rescue services showed up quickly and gave us water and things to eat," Li said, adding that he received priority in evacuation since he was accompanied by a small child.<br> <br>"At first the road was blocked, but they had cleared a lane this morning for ambulances."<br> <br>A French man and a Canadian woman suffered light injuries, Xinhua reported.<br> <br>All 341 Taiwan tourists in 19 [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-trung-khanh-cuu-trai-cau-thanh-do-ha-noi-sai-gon.html tour cửu trại câu từ hà nội] groups were safe, the government of the self-ruled island said, however.<br> <br>The Sichuan government dismissed as overblown earlier fears that part of a hotel had collapsed, saying damage proved minor and everyone was evacuated safely.<br> <br>The Sichuan earthquake administration, which also assessed the quake magnitude at 7.0, said its epicentre was in Ngawa prefecture, populated chiefly by ethnic Tibetans, many of whom are nomadic herders.<br> <br>The area was rattled by aftershocks on Wednesday.<br> <br>Pictures on state-run social media sites showed some damage in Jiuzhaigou, with tiles having fallen off buildings and people gathering outdoors.<br> <br>State television said electricity had largely been restored to affected areas and the military was also sending rescuers.<br> <br>The Sichuan government said on one of its official social media sites that more than 38,000 tourists were now visiting Jiuzhaigou.<br> <br>Shaking was felt in the provincial capital, Chengdu, and  [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-trung-khanh-cuu-trai-cau-thanh-do-ha-noi-sai-gon.html tour cửu trại câu từ hà nội] as far away as Xian, home of the famous terracotta warrior figures,  [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-du-lich-trung-khanh-cuu-trai-cau-thanh-do-ha-noi-sai-gon.html tour cửu trại câu] according to the government.<br> <br>The Xinjiang quake's epicentre was in Jinghe county, about 100 km (60 miles) from the border with Kazakhstan, where about 140,000 people live, according to Xinhua.<br> <br>Residents several hundred kilometres away in Urumqi, and the cities of Karamay and Yining, felt strong tremors, Xinhua said.<br><br>The jolt lasted about 20 seconds, it said.<br> <br>(Additional reporting by David Stanway in Shanghai, Michael Martina in Beijing and Faith Hung in Taipei; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry and Clarence Fernandez)<br>