BEIJING, CHINA - AT least 10,000 people remained buried on Tuesday in a single Chinese county after a devastating earthquake struck the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

State media has already reported that 10,000 people were killed across Sichuan, the worst hit province, but the huge number of those who remain buried in Mianzhu county indicates the death toll is likely to soar.

Mianzhu is near the epicentre of Wenchuan, an area still cut off from rescue workers because of damage wrought by the quake. -- REUTERS