The state's Xinhua News Agency said nearly 19, 000 people were still buried in debris in and around Mianyang, a city about 60 miles east of the epicenter.

NPR: Sichuan Quake Claims 12,000; Rescuers Scrambling

Mianyang is the only city in Sichuan Province, besides Chengdu, to receive State Council approval to develop as a million-plus population city.

FORBES: China's Best Kept Secrets: Mianyang And Other Tier 3 Cities

At Mianyang, a big city close to Jiangyou, police erected barricades on an approach road to a stadium sheltering some 20, 000 refugees, to prevent its being clogged by volunteer vehicles.

ECONOMIST: The earthquake in Sichuan

"The number of collapsed buildings this time is less, and most are old houses that were built long before, " added Wang Ruheng, dean of the school of civil engineering and architecture at Southwest University of Science and Technology in the city of Mianyang, in Sichuan province.

WSJ: After China Quake, Efforts Turn to Recovery

So, I followed up by explaining that Mianyang is the second-largest city in Sichuan with a population of over 5 million, almost as many people who live in Manhattan.

FORBES: China's Best Kept Secrets: Mianyang And Other Tier 3 Cities