Death toll in China earthquake rises to 7,600

The official Xinhua News Agency said that another 10,000 people were believed hurt in one of the province's counties after the 7.8-magnitude quake on Monday.

Nearly 900 students were trapped after their school collapsed about 60 miles from the quake's epicenter. Rescuers had recovered at least 50 bodies from the debris of the school building

The earthquake struck in the middle of the afternoon when classes and office towers were full.

The temblor was felt as far away as Pakistan, Vietnam and Thailand.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BEIJING (AP) -A massive earthquake struck central China on Monday, killing up to 5,000 people in a single county and trapping nearly 900 students under the rubble of their school, state media reported.

The official Xinhua News Agency said 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Beichuan county in Sichuan province after the 7.8-magnitude quake.

Xinhua reported that 3,000 to 5,000 people had died in Beichuan, which has a population of 160,000, raising fears the overall death toll could increase sharply. Another 10,000 people were believed to be hurt.

The earthquake sent thousands of people rushing out of buildings and into the streets hundreds of miles away in Beijing and Shanghai. The temblor was felt as far away as Pakistan, Vietnam and Thailand.