54 tourists killed, 10 seriously hurt

The devastating earthquake in Sichuan province last week killed at least 54 tourists and stranded more than 10,000 in affected areas, most of whom have now been evacuated, officials said yesterday.

A total of 506 domestic and overseas tour groups were in Sichuan when the tremor jolted the southwestern province last Monday, Wang Zhifa, deputy director of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), told a press conference yesterday.

At least 54 tourists were killed in the quake, including one from Taiwan.