Special report: Strong Earthquake
Jolts SW China
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Professionals and materials are
airdropped for operations to blow a barrier lake at Tangjiashan, Beichuan
County, which was formed by landslides after the May 12 earthquake and now
blocks the river Jianhe.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from China's May 12 earthquake
rose by 4,520 to reach 65,080 as of Monday noon, according to the Information
Office of the State Council.
The casualty figures included 360,058 injured and 23,150 missing in the
8.0-magnitude quake that was centered on the southwestern Sichuan Province.
About 14.38 million people have been relocated from quake-affected areas,
according to the office.
As of Monday noon, 182 aftershocks measuring four or above on the Richter
scale had been monitored in Sichuan, according to the China Seismological
Bureau, including 28 aftershocks measuring above magnitude five, and five above
magnitude six.
The most recent strong aftershock was magnitude 6.4 on Sunday afternoon,
centered on Qingchuan County in north Sichuan, which left at least eight people
dead and more than 900 injured.
Hospitals have treated 83,527 injured people, of whom, 53,247 have been
discharged, 17,168 still remain in hospital and 5,914 were transferred to other
parts of China for treatment.
As of Sunday, disaster relief workers had relocated 666,331 people to safe
areas, and dug 6,537 survivors out of quake ruins.
The government relief fund for the earthquake-stricken areas hit 16.6
billion yuan (2.37 billion U.S. dollars) as of 2 p.m. on Monday, up 1.5 billion
yuan from the previous day, according to the office.
The fund included 12.56 billion yuan from the central budget and 4.06
billion yuan from local budget, the office said.
Domestic and foreign donations for earthquake survivors had reached 30.9
billion yuan (4.4 billion U.S. dollars) as of Friday noon, up 1.8 billion yuan
from the previous day, it said.
So far, 9 billion yuan, in cash and relief materials, had been forwarded to
the earthquake-affected areas, the office said.
Meanwhile, almost 500,000 tents had been delivered to quake-affected areas,
according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Also, more than 3.09 million quilts and 5.21 million garments had been sent
to the quake-hit region, the ministry said.
About 410,000 tonnes of fuel and 880,000 tonnes of coal were also sent to
the region, it said.
More than 97 percent of banks in quake-affected areas had reopened. A total
of 348 bank outlets still closed.
Financial institutions across the country had sent loans worth more than
9.5 billion yuan (1.34 billion U.S. dollars) to Sichuan to assist disaster
relief and reconstruction work. More than 550 million yuan (78.6 million U.S.
dollars) of loans had been diverted to other quake-affected areas such as Gansu,
Shaanxi and Chongqing.
About 96 percent of households in quake-stricken areas in Sichuan had their
electricity restored, according to the Sichuan Electric Power Corporation.
Electricity in Hongyuan County in western Sichuan had been restored, but
Beichuan Country, one of the worst hit areas, still suffered blackouts.
China preparing to drain swelling
quake lake
MIANYANG, Sichuan, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers are
preparing to dynamite the barrier of a swelling quake lake, which has posed a
new threat after a devastating 8.0-magnitude temblor ravaged southwest China's
Sichuan Province.
Helicopters had airdropped professionals and
materials for the operation by 7:49 a.m. Monday onto the dam of the barrier lake
at Tangjiashan in Beichuan County, which was formed by landslides that blocked a
local river known as Jianhe after the May 12 earthquake. Full story
Donations to China's quake-hit regions
rise to 30.9 bln yuan
BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- As of Friday noon,
donations from home and abroad to China's quake-hit regions had reached 30.9
billion yuan (4.4 billion U.S. dollars), up 1.8 billion yuan from the previous
day, according to the Information Office of the State Council.
So far, 9 billion yuan, in cash and relief materials,
had been forwarded to the earthquake-affected areas, the office said. Full story
Armed police brigade arrive at major
quake lake in Sichuan
TANGJIASHAN, Sichuan, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A group of armed
policemen arrived on foot at the Tangjiashan quake lake in southwest China's
Sichuan Province around 00:35 a.m. Monday and immediately began work to defuse
the danger of a major flooding.Full story
Rescuers hiking to large Sichuan quake
lake as flood alarm grows
MIANYANG, Sichuan, May 25 (Xinhua) -- About 1,800 armed
police officers and People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers were hiking on
Sunday toward an expanding "quake lake" in southwest Sichuan Province, hoping to
blast away its landslide barrier before it bursts and causes a flood.Full story
