Special
report: Strong
Earthquake Jolts SW China
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People holding candles mourn during a silent tribute in Beijing, capital of China, on May 21, 2008. A memorial ceremony was held by the Export-Import Bank of China on Wednesday night, the last day of a three-day mourning for the victims of the 8.0-magnitude quake on Richter scale hitting southwest and northwest China's regions. (Xinhua Photo)
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BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The known death toll from China's historic earthquake increased by 9,798 overnight and stood at 51,151 as of 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Information Office of the State Council (cabinet).
Another 288,431 people were counted as injured and 29,328 were still listed as missing as a result of the 8.0-magnitude quake that shook the southwestern province of Sichuan on May 12.
Thursday was the first day since the quake on which no survivors were reported to have been rescued.
The Ministry of Health said that 3,444 people injured in the quake had died in hospitals as of Thursday noon.
Hospitals have admitted 68,608 injured people since the quake. By noon on Thursday, 28,497 people had been treated and discharged, while 33,665 were still being treated, the ministry said. Meanwhile, 3,002 patients have been transferred outside of Sichuan for further treatment.
As of Thursday noon, domestic and foreign donations had reached21.4 billion yuan (3 billion U.S. dollars), up 5.4 billion yuan overnight, the Information Office said. So far, 1.9 billion yuan had been forwarded to the earthquake-affected areas, the office said.
The government disaster relief fund for the affected areas reached 13.975 billion yuan as of 2 p.m. on Thursday, up about 1.1 billion yuan from the previous day, according to the Ministry of Finance. The total included 10.295 billion yuan from the central budget and 3.68 billion yuan from local budgets.
Meanwhile, 403,340 tents, 2.3 million cotton-padded quilts and 3.05 million articles of clothing had been sent to the survivors, and 384,000 tons of wheat and rice were being sent to the region.
As of 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the U.N. Refugee Agency had provided more than 150,000 tents to provide temporary shelter for those left homeless, the Foreign Ministry said.
According to the China Seismological Bureau, as of Thursday noon, 167 aftershocks measuring 4 or above on the Richter Scale had been recorded. Quakes between 5 and 5.9 on the Richter scale numbered 26, while quakes above 6 on the Richter scale numbered four.
Power had mostly been restored except in Beichuan County, one of the worst-hit areas, while Hongyuan's electricity had been cut off again due to aftershocks, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission said in a statement.
So far, 23,117 of the 25,062 damaged telecommunications base stations have been repaired, while 13,885 kilometers of the 24,056km in damaged cables have been fixed, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
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
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Medical staffs and volunteers carry the
stretchers bearing the seriously-injured from the catastrophic quake at
the Xi'an Railway Station, in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province,
May 21, 2008. The first batch of 248 injured people from the quake-ravaged
areas in Sichuan Province were shifted in an exclusive train right away to
the Xijing, and Tangdu Hospitals, both affiliated to the No. 4 PLA
Military Medicine University upon their arrival in Xi'an.(Xinhua
Photo)
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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
