South west China quake-affected schools to resume class

All affected schools in earthquake-hit Yongshan county of southwest China's Yunnan Province will resume class on Tuesday after a three-day Tomb-sweeping holiday, said local authorities Monday. Nine injured people have meanwhile been discharged from hospital, sources with the county publicity office said. The 5.3-magnitude quake hit the county, with an epicenter 13 km deep, at 6:40 a.m. on Saturday, affecting 71,200 residents and injuring 32 people. It left houses flattened, transport suspended and electricity and communication facilities damaged. Forty-eight schools were damaged in six towns. Since students were on their three-day Tomb-sweeping holiday, there were no casualties from schools. Government authorities and schools have adopted measures to ensure school safety by strengthening slightly-affected school buildings. The county has also prepared board houses for school use. The local government dished out 2,150 tents, and a large sum of quilts, food and water to quake victims in temporary shelters. A total of 20,980 residents have been relocated. The local authorities have organized disaster evaluation work and large-scale investigation for ruling out potential risks.