Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

 

Coal miner observes a three-minute silence with deep sorrow in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, May 19, 2008.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the devastating earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province rose to 40,075 nationwide as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Information Office of the State Council.

    Another 247,645 people were injured in the 8.0-magnitude quake that jolted southwestern Sichuan Province last Monday.

    At a press conference earlier Tuesday, the information office also said that 32,361 people were missing as of Tuesday noon.

    In Sichuan Province alone, 39,577 people have been confirmed dead and another 236,359 people injured as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.

    As of midday Tuesday, 159 aftershocks measuring above 4 on the Richter scale had been detected in Sichuan, according to the China Seismological Bureau. Aftershocks measured above magnitude 5 numbered 26, with four stronger than magnitude 6.

    About 5.36 million buildings have collapsed and more than 21 million were damaged in the earthquake, according to figures available as of Monday evening, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

    The quake affected 434 counties in 10 provinces and municipalities in China, the ministry said in a statement issued Tuesday.

    The worst-affected areas include central and northern Sichuan'sAba Prefecture, Mianyang, Deyang, Guangyuan, Ya'an and Chengdu, southeastern Gansu's Longnan, and Hanzhong and Baoji in southern and western Shaanxi Province.

    Among the 34 worst-hit counties, 21 are in Sichuan, eight in Shaanxi and five in Gansu.

    By Monday at midnight, up to 360,159 people trapped during the quake had been rescued and transported to safe areas, among whom 6,375 were excavated from rubble, according to the military source.

    Military rescuers had reached all 1,044 worst-hit villages under 134 townships in southwestern Sichuan Province as of Tuesday evening.

    A total of 278,462 tents, 783,984 quilts, 1.78 million pieces of cotton-padded clothes and 218 million yuan worth of food and drinking water had been allocated to the quake zones as of 1 p.m. Tuesday by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

    The Civil Affairs ministry and the Finance Ministry are also planning to provide each homeless quake victim who lacks an income with a daily subsidy of 10 yuan and 500 grams of food for three months, starting from late May. Orphans, widowed elders with no children and handicapped persons who lost relatives will receive another monthly subsidy of 600 yuan for three months. A 5,000-yuancompensation fund for relatives of the quake dead in the quake is also guaranteed.

    As of Tuesday noon, domestic and international donations to the quake areas have reached close to 14 billion yuan, compared with 11.7 million yuan from central and local government budgets by 2 p.m. Tuesday.

    So far, the provincial power grids in quake-hit Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi as well as Chongqing Municipality have been in normal operation while the electricity supply to Gansu, Chongqing and Shaanxi has resumed normal levels.

    But, power supply was still cut off in the worst-hit Beichuan, Maoxian and Wolong counties, the information office said.

    Repairs on the Baoji-Chengdu Railway are also under way.

    Telecommunications lines between the outside world and the eight worst-hit counties in Sichuan (Wenchuan, Lixian, Maoxian, Qingchuan, Pingwu, Heishui, Beichuan and Mianzhu) were functional as of Tuesday noon. Of the 201 townships under the eight counties,146 had telecommunication access.

    Plans for reconstruction will be worked out after authorities finish moving survivors to safe areas.

    As of 2 p.m. Monday, 80 percent of the dead in Sichuan had been buried or cremated, while all bodies in other provinces reporting quake deaths have been properly handled to prevent possible plague in the quake zones.

    Authorities will collect pictures and body tissue samples of those who cannot be identified before burial or cremation, to build a DNA database for future identification.

    In the meantime, the State Council is calling for more tents to provide shelter for quake victims.

    "Tents, what we need the most are more tents," said Jiang Li, the vice minister of civil affairs, at the press conference on Tuesday afternoon, appealing for international help.

    Sufficient supplies of food, and drinking water was emphasized by the State Council, which also called for providing psychological assistance to quake victims and their relatives.

Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) search on the debris in the quake-hit city of Shifang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 19, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Millions mourn China earthquake dead with air sirens wailing in grief

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Millions of people in China and overseas observed three minutes silence at 2:28 p.m. Monday to mourn thousands of people killed in an earthquake which hit the nation's southwest a week ago.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, and other top leaders including Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang also stood in silence in the central government compound of Zhongnanhai in Beijing. Full story

China begins three-day mourning for quake victims

The students of senior 3 at Beichuan Higher Middle School attend a ceremony of resuming classs at a temporary school in quake-hit Mianyang city, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 19, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday began a three-day national mourning for the tens of thousands of people killed in a powerful earthquake which struck the country's southwest on May 12.

    At 4:58 a.m., the national flag at the Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing flew at half-mast after a complete flag-raising ceremony. Full story

National flags at Chinese diplomatic missions fly at half-mast in mourning for quake victims

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese embassies and consulates in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other countries flew Chinese national flags at half-mast on Monday morning in mourning for victims in the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, China.  Full story

Magnitude of SW China earthquake revised to 8.0

    BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The China Seismological Bureau (CSB) Sunday revised the magnitude of southwest China earthquake from 7.8 to 8.0 on the Richter scale. Full story

Chinese President expresses gratitudes for foreign aid in quake relief

    CHENGDU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao Saturday night expressed gratitude to foreign countries and people who have offered aid since a major earthquake struck the country. Full story

President Hu renews call to save lives in remote villages 

    CHENGDU, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday urged rescue teams to reach remote villages that were battered by the strong earthquake in the southwestern Sichuan Province as soon as possible. Full story

Chinese President encourages quake victims to overcome difficulties

    BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao Friday went to Beichuan County of Mianyang City to visit people affected by the southwest China earthquake, encouraging them to be confident in overcoming hardships caused by the disaster. Full story

Chinese Premier stresses all-out efforts to rescue quake victims

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday underscored unremitting efforts in searching and rescuing people buried in debris in the earthquake in southwestern Sichuan Province. Full story

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