Thousands flee Chinese village near epicenter due to flood worries




Thousands of Chinese earthquake victims fled areas near the epicenter Saturday, fearful of floods from rivers blocked by landslides rattled loose in this past week's powerful temblor.

 

Soldiers carried older people out of Beichuan town - one of the areas hit hardest by the magnitude 7.9 quake, whose confirmed death toll jumped Saturday to nearly 29,000. The government says the final toll is expected to exceed 50,000. A policeman said that rescue officials were worried water from a choked river would inundate the town. (AP)