Army sent to aid quake rescuers
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The quake struck in the heart of China's Muslim region
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BEIJING, China -- Military rescue teams have been dispatched to China's remote northwestern Xinjiang province after Monday's devastating earthquake.
They will be assisting with the clear up and urgent efforts to provide food, shelter, and prevent disease among survivors.
Officials in the area say local rescue workers have been overwhelmed by the scale of the damage.
Among the casualties, those with the most serious injuries are facing at least a three-hour drive to medical facilities equipped to deal with their wounds.
Relatives of the dead in the predominantly Muslim region began funeral rites late Monday to bury the victims as soon as possible in accordance with Islamic tradition.
However, there are fears that many bodies may be trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Although the quake struck at shortly after 10 am, because of China's single time zone system it was still barely daylight in Xinjiang, which is about 2,000 km (1200 miles) west of Beijing.
Aftershocks
Xinjiang is the largest province in China, but is also one of the country's poorest. Providing aid to families whose homes were leveled in the quake will be an urgent priority.
The region is prone to seismic activity, but few buildings are built to withstand powerful quakes.
With aftershocks continuing to rock the area, many survivors said they were too scared to spend the night inside buildings still standing, afraid that they might collapse.
Instead many opted to brave freezing temperatures and sleep in the open air.
