China quake damages over 360 schools affecting 77,000 students

More than 360 schools and 77,000 students were affected by the 6.6 magnitude earthquake in northwest China's Gansu Province in which 95 people were killed and over a thousand injured.

While no casualties were reported in schools due to summer holidays, a total of 16,100 students will not be able to return to school as their classrooms and dormitories were damaged in Monday's quake, which jolted Minxian and Zhangxian counties in the city of Dingxi, Chinese Education Ministry said.

More than 2.95 lakh square meters of school buildings have been affected, it said.

Teachers who are on vacation have been asked to return to help with the rescue work, the notice said.

As for the ongoing college recruitment, the local educational authority has introduced favourable policies for high school graduates from disaster-hit areas, including preferential treatment for admissions, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.

Meanwhile 14 people who went missing in the earthquake have been confirmed dead, bringing the death toll to 95 and the number of injured to 1,001, said Zhang Kebing, deputy director of the provincial civil affairs department.

Local governments have relocated 2.26 lakh people.