Earthquake Kills 19 in China, Including Eight Tourists

UPDATE: August 10, 2017 - 3:15 PM

TravelPulse Canada contacted Global Affairs Canada to determine if any Canadians were impacted and received the following response from Global Affairs spokesperson, Brianne Maxwell...

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with those affected by the earthquake in China. Consular officials in Chongqing are in contact with the affected Canadian citizens and their families, and are providing consular assistance. Due to privacy considerations, further details cannot be disclosed at this time. Canadians requiring consular assistance should contact the nearest Canadian government office in China or the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa. To protect the privacy of the individuals concerned, further details cannot be released."

Original Story:

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the Chinese province of Sichuan late Tuesday, killing 19 people, including at least eight tourists and injuring hundreds more. The Canadian government has not yet advised if any Canadians were among those killed or injured.

According to Reuters, the Sichuan government confirmed that as many as 45,000 tourists have been evacuated from the quake zone.

The quake struck near the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a popular destination for tourists visiting southwestern China.

Citing state media, Reuters reported dozens of tourists were camped out at Jiuzhaigou Airport on Wednesday and that the airport was open and beginning to evacuate people by air.

According to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, seven of the airport's outbound flights and five inbound flights scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled, representing 33 per cent of departures and 25 per cent of arrivals.

The Canadian Embassy in China tweeted that Canadians should follow instructions from local authorities.

#Earthquake in #Guangyuan #Sichuan - Canadians in affected areas should monitor local news and follow instructions from local authorities

— Canada in China (@CanadaChina) August 9, 2017

China's northwestern region of Xinjiang was also hit by a 6.6-magnitude quake Wednesday. Nearly three dozen people were reportedly injured in the rural area.

Quake in China's Sichuan kills 19, including tourists, injures 247 https://t.co/NCMCLmfjUh pic.twitter.com/ZjAhN9Mfp2

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 9, 2017

Evacuations continue as officials work to rescue victims and assess the damage. More than 100 aftershocks have been reported in the hours since the initial quake.

Brian Simpson contributed to this story.

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