China is trying to cope with the aftermath of Qinghai’s earthquake.

China is trying to cope with the after-effects of Tuesday’s (13 April) Qinghai Province earthquake, which measured 7.1 on the Richter scale and has affected thousands of lives.

So far more than 600 people have died, hundreds more are missing and around 9,000 have been injured in the quake, which hit the remote region in western China, home to around 70,000 people. Aftershocks are still affecting the area.

Save the Children has said that Chinese officials have stated this was the strongest quake within 100km of the area since 1976, and that the government has already mobilised 700 soldiers and more than 5,000 tents, along with specialist teams to help the afflicted.

Wyndham James, Save the Children’s Director in China, said the charity was assessing the situation: “This happened just before 8am when most people would have been at home or on their way to work. School starts in Yushu County at 8.30am for most children. But there are also boarding schools for children coming in from the country and so we have particular concerns about their situation.

“According to news in China, at one boarding school of 1,000 children, the buildings toppled and five pupils died. They hadn’t yet started classes and rushed out from their dormitories.”

The catastrophe echoes the earthquake experienced by neighbouring province Sichuan in May 2008, which left 90,000 people dead or missing. However, the Open University in England’s Milton Keynes told the BBC that there was no direct relationship between the two earthquakes: “It’s not the same fault, it’s a consequence of the same bit of global tectonics, which is the collision of India with Asia. That’s the only link I’d make,” said Dr David Rothery.

Today, World Vision announced it was sending a team of aid workers to the area. Invited by the Chinese Government, the group will bring hygiene supplies and assess the damage caused – with one of the main concerns being shelter and warmth due to the low temperatures in the area.

Meanwhile, the country has reported an 11.9% growth in its economy. The increase in China’s GDP, for the first quarter of 2010, was 5.7% higher than the same period last year, while inflation was lower than expected at 2.2%.