Officials check quake-collapsed schools

JUYUAN, China, May 29 (UPI) -- Chinese officials Thursday poked through the ruins of thousands of collapsed schools from the devastating May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province.

They wanted to find out why the school buildings crumbled, killing many of the estimated 10,000 students and teachers who died that day.

The earthquake claimed more than 68,000 deaths overall, the Voice of America said.

Chinese officials say they are concerned about the quality of some construction materials used in Juyuan in the Sichuan province, the center of the quake.

Zhi Shuping, an official with the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, says his organization is stepping up inspections and trying to make sure no one brings sub-standard materials into the rebuilding effort.