Experts assess quake damage to schools

Damage at primary and middle schools in Lushan county, epicenter of the magnitude-7.0 earthquake that struck Sichuan province on Saturday, is being assessed, the China Earthquake Administration said on Monday.

Experts from the administration and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development have started to inspect damage to important public buildings, including schools and hospitals, in the quake-hit area since arriving on Sunday afternoon.

Evaluation work on Monday showed that damage to most primary and middle schools in Ya’an city is not serious and that students can return to classes.

As of 2 pm on Monday, 2,283 aftershocks had been recorded, including four between magnitude-5.0 and 5.9, according to the latest statistics from the administration.