Sichuan Earthquake, 2013. PLA mobilization Update 4/19/2013

* 2000 troops of the 149th Mech Infantry Division mobilized and en route to the quake zone .

•  The 149th is Chengdu MR's designated RRU unit, this repaid reaction is not unexpected.

* one Artillery Regiment of the Chengdu MR mobilized 
* 2nd LH (Army Aviation) Brigade is carrying S&R work

China earthquake: 'Hundreds dead or injured' in Sichuan
 BBC


Hundreds of people may have been killed or injured after an earthquake in China's western Sichuan province, state media report.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which had a 6.6 magnitude, was centred 80km (50 miles) west of the town of Linqiong.

It said the tremor occurred at a depth of 12.3km (7.6 miles).

The area is prone to tremors. An 8.0 magnitude quake in Sichuan in May 2008 killed nearly 90,000 people.

The latest quake - initially reported as a 7.0 magnitude, and then at 6.9 - struck at 08:02 local time (01:02 BST), the USGS said.

It was felt 115km (71 miles) away in the provincial capital, Chengdu, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.

It said only 10 people had been confirmed dead, but other state media suggested the toll could be far higher.

"The earthquake in Ya'an, Lushan, has injured or killed hundreds of people," the Sichuan earthquake bureau said, quoted by an official website.