Jiuzhaigou earthquake: Death toll rises to 20

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‍· Death toll climbs to 20, 431 injured
· Landslide risk in disaster area rises
· President Xi calls for "all-out" rescue efforts

China's Xinhua News Agency reported that as of 1:00 p.m. Thursday, a further ten people had been rescued following Tuesday night's devastating earthquake in southwestern Sichuan Province..

Two of the people rescued were employees at the Jiuzhai National Park, while eight were visitors. Nine were reported to be in good condition, with only one woman slightly injured.

At least 20 people were killed and 431 injured after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Jiuzhaigou County in southwestern China's Sichuan Province late Tuesday, according to local emergency services.

Eight of the victims were tourists and 40 of the injured are in a critical condition.

One French national and one Canadian were slightly injured, an official from the provincial earthquake disaster relief headquarters said during a press conference on Wednesday.

More than 47,000 tourists have been evacuated and local authorities have set up emergency shelters at Zhangzha town, a local Sheraton resort, and the Moon Valley scenic area.

Firefighters check a tour bus near the Jiuzhaigou National Park./CGTN Photo

Firefighters walk to reach the Jiuzhaigou county where magnitude-7.0 earthquake takes place on August 8./CGTN Photo

The front gate of a hotel is damaged after the earthquake in Jiuzhaigou County of southwest China's Sichuan Province./Xinhua Photo

Over 770 aftershocks were detected in the area, including a magnitude-4.8 shock striking the county at 10:17 a.m. Beijing time on Wednesday.

There is a high risk of landslides if strong rain hits the area, the emergency office of China's Land and Resources Ministry warned.

President Xi: 'All-out' efforts should be made

‍Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for "all-out efforts" to rapidly organize relief work and rescue injured people.

As the earthquake took place during the flood period and tourism season, authorities should enhance meteorological early warning and geological monitoring to guard against other disasters, Xi added.

Premier Li Keqiang also urged local authorities to go all out in relief and monitoring work.

About Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou National Park.

Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, is a national park located in the north of Sichuan Province. Inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992, the valley is home to diverse natural scenery combining lakes, waterfalls, verdant forests and snow-covered mountains.

In order to protect the ecosystem at the park, local authorities capped visitor numbers at 41,000 (April 1 to November 15) and 23,000 (November 16 to March 31) daily. More than 34,000 people visited the park on Tuesday.

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