China Admits Student Death Toll In Quake

(AP)  China said Thursday that 5,335 students died in last year's Sichuan earthquake, the first official tally for students in what became a politically charged issue because of allegations of shoddy school construction.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the overall death toll for Sichuan province in the May 12 earthquake was unchanged at 68,712. Some 18,000 people are still officially listed as missing, and are presumed dead.

The government released the death and missing tolls weeks after the 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan and several other provinces, but refused until now to give a toll for the number of students. It has been a sensitive issues because of widespread accusations that almost 7,000 classroom crumbled because of slipshod construction methods or because building codes were ignored.

No reason was given for the release of the number now, just days before the one-year anniversary of the disaster that launched an outpouring of grief around China and united the country in a massive rescue effort.

Many parents of dead children have demanded that authorities be made answerable for the collapses of the schools.

The official China Daily said Thursday that a circular issued by the Cabinet ordered that safety controls over the construction and rebuilding of schools be strengthened.

The circular said there would be severe punishment for those who engage in illegal practices.

"The quality of school buildings is a concern of the social stability and should be the focus of local authorities at present and in the coming days," it said.

The deaths of the children also touched a nerve nationwide and raised questions about corruption and mismanagement that have flourished amid China's breakneck economic growth.

Police and others have blocked parents of the dead children from staging protests to seek information. A recent Amnesty International report chronicles instances in which dozens of parents were questioned or detained by police while seeking answers from courts and local officials. It also said lawyers who took on such cases were pressured into dropping them.

[sopheapang]

"China Admits Students Death Toll in Quake" and "China Announces Students Death Toll in Quake" don't mean the same at all. Does this despicable goon of AP know how to use the correct words at all?

[wcreader]

"China Admits Student Death Toll In Quake" ?? Why China has to admit? it hasd been on Chinese TV and every Chinese media that showed many had die and many of them are young students in the earth quake. Why China has to re-admit the Student Death Toll , is there any surprise? Is AP want to fame China was hinding true and now is to admit after a year? It is sad that life was lost, yet it is even sad that AP try to use a distator to make negative publicty. Selectively, and biasly reporting is not a right conduct of a reponsiblem professional jounolism should do.

[wcreader]

It is still sad to hear many lives has vanished during the major earth quake hit Sichuan and many other provinces in China almost a year ago on 5/12. Many of them are young students. Our prayer and heart are with them and family. No one would know what may happen when the quake is 8.0 or higher hit a dense populated area. Yet, it is time to focus on how to offer help to the survivor and families so that they can be stand up and live on, live for a better life. I think many professional can help in the re-build process, to build stronger, more earth-quake resisted building. Most important thing is that we need to build a even stronger community that offers love, care and hope. Experienced in life and dead situation, we treasure life more than any time. It is our hope and prayer that Sichuan people will be better tomorrow.

[apndrgn]

I wonder what the number of Chinese Italian students killed was, just out of morbid curiosity about earth quakes while they are counting.

[rwsmith29456]

Don't hold me to this but I THINK if a child in China dies, the parents can have another. Having an heir is important anywhere but especially so in China. And EVERYBODY needs to be more watchful in building construciton. We've had a few buildings and bridges fall down here, too.

[sonnyb5]

Why Haven't you mentioned National Day of Prayer in your news

[straightalk]

YCantWeAllGetAlong,

WRONG! These parents ARE allowed to have another child. In fact, the Chinese government is doing a much better job in helping all the homeless from the quake than the Bush government on Katrina. New apartments have been completed & people are getting placed. However, you are talking the equavalent of the entire country of France being destroyed. It will take time to rebuild. New Orlenes is still being rebuilt after 4 years & their destruction is not even 10% of what happened to China.

[pete_in_az]

YCWAGA- But heay, there are most favored trading partner so shut the feck up.

:)

[YCantWeAllGetAlong]

Can you imagine losing a child and not being able to do a thing about it? These poor parents can't get an answer. Their society forbids them to have more than one child, then, when that one child is taken away from them because of neglect from that same government, they are told, "Tough! Go Home!" Terrible.