Four days after a powerful earthquake devastated parts of China's Yunnan province, the death toll has risen to 615, authorities said Thursday.
Among reported deaths, 526 were in Ludian County and 76 in Qiaojia County. The quake also caused one death in Zhaotong City and another 12 in Huize County, Xinhua reported.
In addition to the deaths, 114 people are missing and 3,143 injured, 343 of whom are in a critical condition. More than 80,000 houses collapsed and 129,100 were damaged. A total of 229,700 people have been evacuated.
The 6.5-magnitude earthquake, the strongest to strike Yunnan in 14 years, occurred Sunday evening with its epicenter in Longtoushan Township, Ludian County in Zhaotong City, affecting over 1.08 million people in the cities of Zhaotong and Qujing.
