BEIJING - Rescuers picked away rubble from around a body in an area shaken by a powerful earthquake in mountainous western China, then stood silently in a row, with helmets off and heads bowed, to pay their respects.
Tuesday night's quake in Sichuan province China killed at least 19 people and injured 175. It also knocked out power and phone networks, complicating efforts to find survivors.
- Earlier report: Strong SW China quake kills at least 7
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for rapid efforts to respond to the disaster that struck a quake-prone region bordered by Sichuan and Gansu provinces. The area is populated largely by Tibetans and lies close to Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, a national park known for spectacular waterfalls and karst formations that attracts visitors from China and overseas.