The stunning amount of student deaths in the China quake

INTERNATIONAL: "China Releases Its Toll Of Students in '08 Quake: First Official Tally In Contentious Issue," by Andrew Jacobs and Edward Wong, New York Times, 8 May 2009.

NATIONAL WEEKLY EDITION: "Parents' Stifled Grief: A year after the massive earthquake, China clamps down on survivors' protests," by Jill Drew, Washington Post, 11-17 May 2009.

Old estimates said as many as 10,000 school kids died. China's government says 5k and change, with 500-plus disabled.

Still, what a stunning total. I have no idea how far back--cumulatively--you'd have to go in American earthquake history to rack up a total death count that equals what China lost last year just in students.

Meanwhile, China continues to clamp down on grieving parents who want answers.

Very bad form that only bottles up social anger instead of dissipating it.

Comments

[Patrick O'Connor]

With Chinese reproduction policies would many of these have been only children?