Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

    SHENZHEN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese-Americans and one Thai tourist have been reported missing following Monday's earthquake in southwest China, the tourism bureau of Shenzhen City said on Tuesday.

    The bureau said the three were among a seven-member tour group that lost contact after the earthquake. The other four were Chinese.

    The group left Dujiangyan for Jiuzhaigou at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. They were likely to be in the epicenter Wenchuan County when the quake hit one hour later.

    A total of 223 tourists in 15 groups, setting out from Shenzhen, were in Sichuan. Fourteen groups had contacted the Shenzhen tourism bureau or travel agencies so far.

    The Shenzhen city tourism bureau and relevant departments are trying to contact the seven-member group.

    The Sichuan provincial emergency management office said earlier on Tuesday that more than 2,000 tourists, including 15 Britons, were stranded in the Aba prefecture.

    The British tourists were probably in Wolong, where the China Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center is located.

    One tourist coach was buried by a landslide in Maoxian County, leaving 37 people dead, according to the office.