By KUNA,
Tokyo : The death toll from Monday’s earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan Province has climbed to 12,012 killed and 26,206 injured, with the number of dead likely to further rise, as at least 7,841 people remained buried, state media reported.
The death toll is the highest for a quake in China since the Tangshan earthquake in the northern province of Hebei in 1976, which claimed 242,000 lives.
More than 800 armed police have arrived at Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province — the epicenter of the magnitude 7.8 quake — and started operations in heavy rain, according to Xinhua News Agency. The government also plans to parachute 100 soldiers to the epicenter of Wenchuan, which has has a population of about 112,000. About 20,000 troops are now helping with relief efforts in the quake-hit areas in the province, and 30, 000 more are making their way, the news agency said.
A team of 1,500 medical staff are also expected to reach the Sichhuan provincial capital of Chengdu. Premier Wen Jiabao arrived on Wednesday at Beichuan County, one of the regions worst hit by the massive earthquake, to oversee the rescue work.
The death toll is estimated at 5,430, with nearly 10,000 injured, in Beichuan, which neighbors the epicenter of the quake.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday night that no foreign casualties have been reported. A group of 31 British tourists who had been missng arrived safe in Chengdu Tuesday with the assistance of the local police, the ministry added.