Storms slow quake response

The quake death toll reached over 400 by Monday morning. Three people were reported missing and about 1,800 were injured, the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a statement.

A 6.5-magnitutude earthquake struck the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan on Sunday, causing huge devastation in the area. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the quake was the strongest to hit Yunnan in 14 years.

An intense rescue operation is underway in the region but rescuers are struggling to evacuate an estimated 57,000 people left homeless by the tremor.

"The blocked roads and the continuous downpour have made some affected areas inaccessible for the relief vehicles," said Liu Jianhua, the ruling Communist Party's secretary in Zhaotong. The city administers the worst-hit county of Ludian, which is home to about 429,000 people.

The official Xinhua news agency quoted Liu as saying there was a "severe shortage" of professional rescue teams and equipment, and that they were finding it difficult to clear blocked roads.

Some 5,000 soldiers, police and firefighters - aided by about 2,000 civilians - are taking part in the rescue work.

The UN said it was ready to "lend its assistance to efforts to respond to humanitarian needs" and "to mobilize any international support needed."

Premier visits worst-hit areas

Prime Minister Li Keqiang and a team of senior government officials visited Zhaotong on Monday to oversee rescue work. A government statement said that Li promised more intense relief efforts in the next two days.

"We have to grab every opportunity of rescue to reduce the casualties," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

Xinhua also said that Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the authorities to "give top priority to saving people's lives, minimize casualties and guarantee a proper settlement for quake victims."

The president called for all-out efforts in relief operation and strengthening aftershock monitoring to prevent secondary disasters, said the news agency.

Prone to earthquakes

Reports say that many of the collapsed homes in Ludian were old and made of brick. Much of the area has been without electricity and telecommunications for two days.

A Ludian resident described the devastation as similar to a "battlefield after bombardment."

"I have never felt [such] strong tremors before. What I can see is all ruins," he told Xinhua, as reported by the Associated Press news agency.

The mountainous quake-hit region is largely agricultural and is prone to earthquakes. In April, 2013, a 6.6-magnitude quake in the Sichuan province – also in the southwest - left 196 people dead and 21 missing. In 2008, a much deadlier earthquake in the same area killed almost 70,000 people.

shs/kms (dpa, AFP)