China jolted, 20000 feared dead
Earthquake Measuring 7.8 Leaves 8,533 Dead In Sichuan Alone The death toll in Monday's earthquake that devastated parts of southwest China's Sichuan province appeared heading towards a massive figure that might surpass 20,000 people. Till late evening on Monday, official sources confirmed 8,533 deaths in Sichuan alone, but indicated that the situation was so grim that a lot more people may have lost lives.