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Hospital patients are evacuated after an earthquake on May 12, 2008 in Xi'an, China. A major earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:28 pm Monday, the State Seismological Bureau said. (Photo by Sun Jianrong/ChinaFotoPress/***** Images)


Medical wards are set up in tents on the lawn of a hospital after patients were evacuated from the hospital building on May 12, 2008 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, northern China. A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:28 pm Monday. The current confirmed death toll stands at at least 8,500 people. Beichuan county is one of the worst-hit areas some 50km from the epicentre with 80 per cent of buildings reported destroyed. The death toll is expected to rise, as nine hours after the quake hit, rescue teams have yet to reach the epicentre in Wenchuan county, Xinhua news agency reported. (Photo by Heng Guoliang/ChinaFotoPress/***** Images)

Hospital patients are evacuated after an earthquake on May 12, 2008 in Xi'an, China. A major earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:28 pm Monday, the State Seismological Bureau said. (Photo by Sun Jianrong/ChinaFotoPress/***** Images)



Volunteers are lining up on the street to setup a temporary "delivery room" after the earthquake. Chengdu Sichuan, China