Chinese Quakes Kill Dozens

Two quakes rattled the mountainous provinces in southwest China Friday, leaving 70 dead, over 700 injured, and forcing tens of thousands to flee. An estimated 20,000 homes were damaged in the remote area after two 5.6 magnitude quakes hit within 45 minutes of one another. The poor quality of the construction in these rural areas—where many house are built from mud and timber—has led to much more severe damage, but could make rescuing trapped civilians easier. In 2008 and 2010, China also suffered extreme quakes that killed thousands.