Deadly Sichuan earthquake sparks fresh fears over building quality
Massive damage was caused to structures near the epicentre of Saturday's quake, and even some rebuilt after the 2008 disaster
Massive damage to buildings near the epicentre of the 7 magnitude earthquake that struck Sichuan on Saturday has led to renewed public concerns about building quality.
Ma Jun, the government head in Baoxing county, northwest of the epicentre, told Xinhua on Sunday that nearly all the buildings in the county were damaged, including buildings such as schools and hospitals rebuilt after the 8 magnitude quake in 2008.
Twenty-six county residents were killed by Saturday's quake and more than 2,500 injured, mostly by collapsed buildings.
Ma's remarks put the government of Hainan province firmly in the spotlight. The province had supported reconstruction in Baoxing with 150 million yuan (HK$186.5 million) from Hainan's taxpayers.
The projects included a 51 million yuan hospital and an equally expensive high school. All construction work was completed in 2011.
The schools, hospital and other public buildings were still standing, he said, without elaborating on the degree of damage.