7.8 Quake Disaster in China - 9,000+ dead

CHONGQING, China - A massive earthquake struck central China on Monday, killing more than 8,500 people and trapping nearly 900 students under the rubble of their school, state media reported.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake was among the worst to strike China in decades, devastating a hilly region of small cities and towns in Sichuan and nearby provinces. The official Xinhua News Agency said 8,533 people died in Sichuan and dozens of other deaths were reported elsewhere.

Five minutes ago on MSNBC, they announced that the official word out of China is now a death toll of 9,000+. It's hard to look at the pictures.

I think Alaskans always feel a special empathy for anyone who is hit by a huge earthquake. Alaskans, especially those of us in Anchorage have the Sword of Damocles hanging over us in the form of the 9.2 earthquake from 1964.

This quake also increases my concern for the people of Burma - China was the country allowed to fly aid in from the beginning and was encouraged to talk Burma into allowing more international aid. I can only hope that this makes the government of Burma more open to additional flights from the U.S.