A week after the earthquake in southwest China, the death toll has risen to 93. According to state media, 25 people are still missing. The tremors on Monday had reached a magnitude of 6.8.

In Sichuan Province, Luding County in the predominantly Tibetan-populated Ganzi Prefecture and Shimian County were particularly hard hit. The area is one to two hours' drive southwest of the provincial capital, Chengdu.

Thousands of houses were destroyed or damaged. Landslides occurred, which also blocked roads. A large-scale rescue operation has been underway since the earthquake. The military was also mobilized. The province is considered to be particularly prone to earthquakes. In 2008, Sichuan was hit by a massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 80,000 people.