China Hit By Earthquake

Drudge Report ^ | Updated:08:00, Monday May 12, 2008 | Sky News

[Lijahsbubbe]

An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale has hit China's Sichuan province. The tremor was felt across the entire region - shaking buildings in the capital, Beijing, as well as the Thai capital, Bangkok, and Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. US Geological Survey said the quake struck 57 miles north-west of the city of Chengdu at 2.29pm local time (6.28am GMT).

Some 10 million people live in Chengdu.

[Nexus]

The Zipingpu Dam we were discussing 30 hours ago in this thread is now making headlines on Drudge, Sky News, and Yahoo Front Page. It’s is dangerously close to a breach I feel. Here is a link to the Sky new Breaking article:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1315944,00.html

[nutspea]

I would be happy to tell you Why there is still no foreign aid in: 1）No need. The road has not been cleared through, we have sent enough amount of persons to manage this disaster, if we need medical care afterwards we would be happy of outside aid. Believe in PLA, OK? We have undergone the 1998 flood and the recent snorm disaster, we know how to act and how to act effiently. About their helicopters, do you understand that it is extremely hard for a helicopter to locate itself in such a kind of environment? The sea wind is very directional, yet it is not the case in the mountain areas, which changes at any time. The helicopter is not so omnipotent as depicted in hollywood film. If they send the superman, that is the mostly welcome;) 2）Poor tools? We are using M-8 military helicopters and airborne landing techniques, with Wain's global system(GPS of China) to communicate with those conduct rescue. You called this poor tools? China military rescue has been instant and efficient. If you have no trust on the government, DO believe in the PLA. They are the most beautiful persons across this country. Salute them.

[SE Mom]

Dear God...that is frightening.

Keeping them all in prayer.

[DavFeng]

thx for replying but what I mean is that the people there need some professional tools like life detective equipments, the army is not trained for earthquake rescue.
I think some experienced SAR team would help a lot. That's why the gov is calling other parts of the country to send professional quake rescue teams.
That's why I say that they should let foreign teams in. Life is more important than ideology

[Lijahsbubbe]

And in such a massive disaster you can never have too much help.

[DavFeng]

have to sleep again, my prayers continue for the people of sichuan, God bless!

[nutspea]

OK.I am going bed.
Bless for the sichuan people.

[TigersEye]

It is a wonderful thing. Let there be no doubt! ; )

[hobbitslikepotatoes]

Today，2 Chinese citizens were reported having been arrested for publishing photographes about the quake area of their own .And earlier, all nation's reporters were forbidden into quake area except the government's agents. The censorship began to bare their teeth. That suggested the situation there could be even worse than they expected, and severe deadly consequence may come out(like dam collaps, chemical or nuclear leaking).

[TigersEye]

However, surprisingly, i have found that i , like some other Chinese people, are called the agent of sb and the only thing for us coming here is to influence you. I dont know what makes you think that way.

I will tell you exactly why some of us have thought that might be the case. This is a political discussion forum to begin with. Therefore most conversation is about politics and it gets heated even when the subject is only about America. The other reason is we have had many posters who truly are propaganda agents for the Chinese government. Until now most posters who claim to be from China have been propaganda agents and very few ordinary citizens.

If you're not (and you don't appear to be to me) you will find you will be accepted by most for what you actually are. There will always be some who have an unreasonable negative opinion. I'm sure that is true of the Chinese people too. Welcome to Free Republic.

[Marysecretary]

It’s sad and so tragic. I pray they will allow people to come in and help them.

[TigersEye]

Here are numerous pictures of the earthquake disaster, posted by a new Chinese FReeper on another thread, that show just how extensive the catastrophe is.

http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20080513_1.htm

It is reasonable to think that there are practical reasons for restricting access to this area. They don't need more people there who aren't doing something to help.

[jmpgfoto]

Difficult to know exactly what is happening but the latest I have is that the Zipingpu facility has been inspected and is safe. My wife is currently in Chengdu and we have stayed in Dujiangyan so we try to keep up on some events. Liang’s father and grandfather were the engineers for Dujiangyan and other projects in Sichuan so we have some insight. They were not in favor of Zipingpu or Three Gorges citing some potential problems such as quakes and flooding. I do hope that all with be well there.

[stlnative]

so it begins... (this may be why you see a drop off in the chinese posting)

China locks up 2 for quake rumours: reports
Posted 14 minutes ago

China’s state-run media reports that two people have been detained for allegedly spreading rumours about the earthquake that hit the country’s south-west, killing more than 14,000 people.

The two people, from Chongqing province next to quake-hit Sichuan, have been ordered to be held for three days, Xinhua news agency quoted the Chongqing Public Security Bureau as saying.

Xinhua says one of them, surnamed Tang, released a picture on an internet forum purporting to show many Sichuan residents escaping the quake.

But police found Tang’s picture was actually of a crowd celebrating an event linked to the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.

The other, surnamed Jin, is said to have posted a picture of a department store building on an online forum and claimed its roof had collapsed. Police discovered the collapse never occurred.

Earlier this week, the Chinese government warned that anyone found spreading false rumours about the quake would be punished.

- AFP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/15/2245068.htm?section=world

[gleeaikin]

Earthquake/drought connection.

There was a terrible earthquake in the 1960’s in Nicaragua after a severe 7 month drought. At the time I thought that this might have been caused by the drying up of the water table, the land getting lighter, and springing upward along a fault. I call it the “bedspring effect”, kind of the mattress shaking when you have been sitting on the edge of the bed and then get up.

I was in a 7.5 in Mexico City in 1957. The city is underlaid with deep mud and the shaking was quiet and steady like standing up in a fast moving subway train. It was 1:30 in the morning coming home from a party. First I thought, “but I only had 2 drinks”, then my date, from California, yelled “earthquake”. We ran for the center of the intersection and held on to each other as the light poles swayed and the ground rocked for more than a minute. It killed almost 200 people. Many buildings that did not collapse had major structural cracks, and had to be torn down, so even if there are Chinese pictures that don’t look so bad, there may be serious irremediable damage.

[sionnsar]

P.S. thanks to all of you Americans for caring about this disaster:)

Cassie, am glad to hear things are okay for your family. When I was in Beijing, one of my translators was from Chengdu; I hope her family are fine. I don't know if other nationalities are different but I have seen it here time after time: when disaster strikes people rush to help.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Has there been any live coverage in China of these areas that are most devastated? How far away are the nearest hospitals which are still functioning and not in danger of collapse?

My heart just breaks for all these people. These children must be so traumatized.

[TigersEye]

Being in Colorado I can’t answer your questions about coverage or hospitals in China. There are several new FReepers from and in China on this thread though who might like to answer whatever questions you have. They seem to be interested in reaching out to us. I’m sorry I wish I could help you.

[don-o]

So it begins. Game on.

Sad, They get a little taste of freedom. And it can be so easily snatched away. It’s wake up and smell the coffee time. Behold the power and tremble.

[AFPS]

Thanks for the link to those pictures. It was very hard to look at them, it is so overwhelming and sad. The Dr.’s operating under those conditions are amazing.