Rescue work in full swing in Sichuan   The death toll from the strong earthquake that hit China's inland province of Sichuan has risen to 179. Search and rescue efforts are in full swing while aftershocks continue to rock the area. The magnitude 7.0 tremor struck on Saturday morning. The quake's epicenter was near Lushan County in the city of Ya'an, about 100 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital Chengdu. The state-run Xinhua news agency says the number of deaths reached 179. China's Central Television quoted Sichuan government officials as saying around 7,000 people were injured. Military personnel and armed police have been working around the clock to search for and rescue survivors. Some 200 members of the Chinese government's emergency rescue team arrived at the scene from Beijing on Sunday morning. The team specializes in pulling people out from under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Members are working at full swing before the crucial first 72 hours passes. More than 20 aftershocks measuring around magnitude 4 or 5 have been detected in the area since the initial quake. Many nuclear-related facilities are located in Sichuan province. The Chinese government announced on Saturday that these facilities are under control, and that no abnormality in radiation levels has been detected. NHK WORLD