China earthquake toll rises to 24

Beijing, Aug 11 : The death toll in the 7-magnitude earthquake in China's Sichuan province rose to 24 on Friday, with five persons still missing, officials said.
A total of 493 people were injured in the Tuesday night earthquake and 45 of them were in a serious condition, the quake rescue headquarters was cited.
More than 61,500 tourists and migrant workers, including 126 foreigners, were evacuated following the quake, which struck Jiuzhaigou county at a depth of 20 km.
In addition, 23,477 local residents were evacuated to safety.
Jiuzhaigou is a popular tourist destination on the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is part of the Aba prefecture and is known for its ethnic minority communities, mountainous landscape and stunning scenery.