China earthquake toll surpasses 40,000

Beijing, May 20: The death toll from last week's earthquake in south-west China has climbed to 40,075, according to sources.

According to the Chinese government, 236,359 people have been injured in the quake. Around five million people have lost their homes. Around 32,361 people are missing in the quake zone and hope of their survival is fading. Chinese aid workers are striving hard to find shelter for millions who lost their homes. Foreign medical teams are arriving in the area. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday , ordered troops to reach each and every area affected by the earth quake within 24 hours.

Providing food, shelter and drinking water for the millions displaced is on the priority list of the rescuers.

On Monday, tens of thousands of people in Siachen province rushed out of their homes after receiving a government warning of a possible major aftershock.

People slept on the streets or drove to open grounds after the warning was conveyed through television.

Dozens of aftershocks have hit the area, strongest of them measured 6.1 at the richter scale.

ANI