BEIJING, April 15 (UPI) -- Chinese rescuers worked Thursday to save people trapped in debris in Qinghai province, where survivors of Wednesday's earthquake slept outdoors.
The death toll from the 7.1-magnitude quake in the mountainous northwest province's Yushu County near Tibet inched toward 600, while an undetermined number of people, including school children, lay trapped in the rubble of toppled homes, structures and school buildings, Chinese media reports said. About 10,000 more were reported injured with about 3,600 of them hospitalized.
An estimated 5,000 rescuers, including hundreds of soldiers -- already hampered by broken roads and bridges, power and communication outages and lacking in essential supplies and medicine -- were warned about powerful aftershock. Reports said some rescuers and survivors used bare hands to search through the rubble to save those trapped.
The state-run Xinhua news agency said rescuers had set up more than 40 tents in Jiegu near the epicenter but they were inadequate for a population of 100,000.
About 1,000 people were cramped in darkness and in near-freezing temperatures in the yard of Yushu's Sports Committee, with some using quilts salvaged from the debris, the report said.
"I'm hungry and thirsty, we've been waiting for help since the morning," said a woman whose three children remained under the rubble, the report said.
Those trapped included about 40 students whose four-story school building collapsed.
China Daily reported more than 30 students in a social welfare school in Yushu escaped as they were late for classes.
Reports said roads in and out of Jiegu were damaged by the quake and landslides, preventing rescuers from bringing in digging machines. The region's average elevation of 13,000 feet added to the problems of the rescuers.
Xinhua quoted authorities as saying the casualty count could increase as rescue efforts intensified.
Air China offered three of its planes to aid in the relief effort. The Chinese army deployed three of its planes along with airborne troops to assist in any evacuation or transporting of the injured.
Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu arrived in Qinghai on the orders of Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao to supervise relief efforts.
The airport in Qinghai's capital Xining, more than 600 miles from Yushu, was operating and some relief planes were able to land.
