The earthquake that hit western Xinjiang Monday morning has claimed the lives of 261 people and seriously wounded 2,050 others, relief officials said Tuesday.

Some 8,861 houses and 900 classrooms collapsed in the powerful magnitude 6.8 quake that toppled Jiashi and Bachu counties at about 10 a.m. Monday.

Rescue work has been busily going on while large amounts of disaster-relief materials, including tents, cotton coats and quilts, are on the way to the disaster area.

Wang Lequan, top leader of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, flew from Beijing to the earthquake-stricken area to guide the disaster-relief activities Tuesday morning.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Committee, was attending a meeting in Beijing when the earthquake took place.

Ismail Tiliwaldi, president of the autonomous region, also flew back from Beijing to the disaster area.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2003)