By Prensa Latina,
Beijing : At least 11 million people were left homeless in China by the earthquake that devastated the Sichuan province and its surrounding areas on May 12, an official source said.
The 8.0-degree earthquake, with epicenter in Wenchuan, nearly 93 miles northwest of the provincial capital of Chengdu, destroyed 5.46 million houses and damaged another 5.93 million.
Sichuan, with about 90 million inhabitants, is one of the country’s most populated provinces, with a great population density in northern, mainly mountainous, districts.
According to Minister for Housing and Urban and Rural Development Jian Weixin, the country is set to start building 1.5 million provisional houses to aid the victims.
The death toll rose on Sunday, past 62,000, and while rescue efforts are continuing, the chances of finding more survivors is dwindling with every day.