Moment of silence observed for quake victims

2013-04-27 41

EDIT CONTAINS 4:3 MATERIAL

Three minutes of silence was observed across China's southwest Sichuan Province on Saturday (April 27) in honour of the victims who lost their lives in the April 20 earthquake, state media reported.

Nearly 200 people were killed and thousands injured after the magnitude 6.6 quake hit.

Chinese state-run television CCTV showed footage of mourners in Lushan bowing their heads to remember the victims outside a local government office that was partially destroyed by the quake.

CCTV said emergency sirens were sounded throughout the city just before the three minutes of silence which began at 0802 AM local time (0002 GMT).

China has poured resources into Sichuan since the quake hit, including 1 billion yuan (161.9 million U.S. dollars) for disaster relief and compensation. Mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure have made reaching victims difficult.