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Beijing: More than 19,000 people were killed during China's may earthquake, an official said on Friday, giving the first government estimate after nearly six months.
Many children were buried under classrooms that collapsed when a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. Media reports put the death toll to tens of thousands.
Beijing rapidly clamped down on reporting of the deaths, has refused to give a toll for nearly six months and has been trying to silence grieved parents with compensation.
Wei Hong, vice governor of Sichuan province, said the toll was still provisional, and the government had not finished counting.
He did not say whether the total was only students, or also included the many teachers killed with their pupils.
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