Buildings shake when earthquake strikes

Lushan, China -- A strong earthquake that struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan this weekend has killed 186 people, sent nearly 8,200 to hospitals and created a dire dearth of drinking water, Chinese state-run Xinhua reported Sunday. Earlier reports had said as many as 11,200 people were injured. The Sichuan Red Cross estimated that drinking water in Ya'an City will run out within three days despite rescue workers' efforts to deliver supplies to quake-hit area. In more remote areas, where the shifting earth muddied river waters, people anxiously awaited evacuation, Xinhua said. Thousands of emergency workers, including soldiers, rushed to reach the affected zones in the hilly region, but their progress was impeded. Huge mountain chunks near the quake's epicenter in Lushan County have sheared off and fallen into valleys. Boulders have landed on roads, making emergency work difficult. Buildings were flattened in the county, and others had severe structural damage.