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TANGSHAN, Hebei, July 28 (Xinhua) -- On the 40th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake, President Xi Jinping said the country's disaster prevention, reduction and relief capabilities should be strengthened.

Xi made the remarks on Thursday during an inspection tour in Tangshan in north China, where he visited a memorial to leave flowers and pay his respect to all those who died in the devastating earthquake.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck the city of Tangshan in Hebei Province on July 28, 1976, killing more than 240,000 people and destroying virtually all buildings.