77,000 students affected in NW China quake

BEIJING - More than 360 schools and 77,000 students have been affected by an earthquake in Northwest China's Gansu province, according to the Ministry of Education Wednesday.

A total of 16,100 students will not be able to return to school as their classrooms and dormitories were damaged in the 6.6-magnitude quake, which jolted Minxian and Zhangxian counties in the city of Dingxi Monday, leaving at least 95 dead and 1,001 injured.

According to a ministry notice, more than 295,400 square meters of school buildings have been affected, with 2,763 square meters having collapsed and 116,100 square meters severely damaged.

Teachers who are on vacation have been asked to return to help with the rescue work, the notice said.

The provincial educational bureau has urged efforts to save lives first, and take measures to prevent aftershocks and secondary disasters.

As for the ongoing college recruitment, the local educational authority has introduced favorable policies for high school graduates from disaster-hit areas, including preferential treatment for admissions.

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