Chinese premier Wen Jiabao (with the megaphone) is at the disaster zone to coordinate the rescue and relief effort (Image by Xinhuanet)

The death toll is 11921 at the time of writing, and the number is expected to rise as rescue missions are being carried on. The worst hit area is the Beichuan county, about 160 kilometres northeast of the quake epicentre in Wenchuan.

This is the worst earthquake to hit China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which claimed around 250,000 lives.

Earthquake hits Sichuan, China from YeinJee's Asian Blog