World Vision China is providing aid to 10,000 survivors in the wake of a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 12,000 people and injured tens of thousands more in southwestern China. Many children were still in school at the time the earthquake struck at 1428 local time.

World Vision China's Emergency Response Director, Victor Kan said, "China's children went to school as they would any other day but, today was not a normal day. Some children lost their classmates, and others lost their parents."

World Vision is transporting 2,000 blankets and 130 tents to the site of the quake to provide emergency relief to the survivors.

Mr. Kan says the cost of saving lives will increase over the next few days as the true extent of the damage is revealed.

"World Vision China is appealing for US$ 1 million toward immediate assistance," he said. "Within the next 72 hours, we expect to have a better understanding of the extent of the damage. The children have suffered greatly in this earthquake. We must do all we can to help them."

A World Vision assessment team has been deployed to survey the needs in the quake affected area.

World Vision China has responded to a range of emergencies in China over the past few years, including the recent earthquake in Xinjiang and the string of blizzards that destroyed livelihoods and homes, impacting more than 100 million people in February 2008.