As more news of destruction caused by yesterday’s earthquake emerges, Xinhua says the death toll has reached nearly 10,000.
The figure may climb as more remote parts of mountainous western Sichuan are reached by rescue teams. President Hu Jintao has declared emergency relief of affected areas a national priority, the People’s Liberation Army is being mobilized, and Premier Wen Jiabao is on the scene again rallying the citizens.
Xinhua has a special page updated with earthquake news here.