| China earthquake: 12,000 dead, 26,000 still buried |
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| Features | |
| Wednesday, 14 May 2008 | |
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Many more people are feared to be dead in the region, as rescuers were hampered not only by the elements, but also the complete decimation of the infrastructure in the area. According to reports by the Guardian's Tania Branigan from Dujianyan, Sichuan, almost all transportation and communication links to the epicenter were down in the immediate aftermath of the quake. Only on Tuesday did Chinese troops finally reach the epicenter of the quake, as thousands are still believed to be buried beneath the rubble of schools, homes, and buildings in the province. The Associated Press reports that the deadly consequences of the quake were also felt in at least five other Chinese provinces with 323 counted among the dead. The Guardian reports that 1000 students and teachers are believe to be dead with the collapsing of a high school in Beichuan county and 900 more victims are feared to be dead in another school collapse in Dujiangyan. Death tolls are expected to rise as rescue and recovery efforts are now expanding to more rural areas. As rescuers and troops continue to arrive at the epicentre to search for victims, thousands of people, 60,000 people in the Wenchuan alone, are still unaccounted for three days after the quake. Mudslides, landslides, and flooding are feared as aftershocks continue to affect the region. Survivors of the earthquake have been told by authorities not to return to their homes for safety reasons, prompting people to sleep outside in the open, despite the rain and weather conditions. The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom has opened a special account for donations to help with the disaster relief efforts in the wake of the earthquake in China. The British Red Cross has also donated £25,000 from its Disaster Fund to support the survivors and relief efforts. For more information about donating to the relief efforts supporting victims of the China earthquake please follow the links to the donation pages of the UK Chinese Embassy special earthquake account and the British Red Cross earthquake appeal. Pamela Yau Image courtesy of Jane Liu http://flickr.com/photos/liuyan/2489978722/
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Over 12,000 people are believed to be dead
after a massive magnitude-7.9 earthquake that struck the Sichuan province of China
on Monday, May 11th. Twenty-six thousand are still believed to be buried in the rubble in the aftermath of what has been called the deadliest
earthquake in China in 30 years. | < Prev | Next > |
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