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.

[Joya]

Global warning is a total hoax invented by algore to help him sell his fraudulent book. The only ones stupid enough to believe in global warming are the bunny huggers and the tree huggers.

[luslee]

All of you have a warm heart. I thank you !

[kinocen]

It is very hard to fly over there because of the terrible weather there, rescuers had tried, they can’t use some of the tools as well, since it may cause collapse and bring more death.

[I am from China]

hi,everyone,I am from China,under the gaidance of my friend,I find this website.this is my first time to use foreign website,I am sorry I just a junior student,so my English may be not very well,but I want to know what can I do for you ?I want to let you know right informations.

[dlzping]

Thanks. even the access to FR first time drived by curiousness, I’d like to say that I like the atmosphere here at least I have known that some people from US have the sympathies to the disaster happend in my country. Furthermore, joining a forum with dfferent culture is also a good journey. Thanks again for your kind prayers to China!

[dlzping]

Just updated: the casualty is 400 but not the death (90多名学生遇难，191名学生失踪，120余名学生受伤，教师的伤亡情况尚不清楚 --- more than 90 students died, abscondence number was 191 and 120+ students injured, but it was unknown the accurate casualty of teachers)

[Tae.Wong]

Minute of silence to be observed in torch relay for earthquake victims

www.chinaview.cn 2008-05-13 21:11:46

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) — Organizers of the Beijing Olympic Games said Tuesday that a minute’s silence will be observed during future stops of the torch relay to mourn the victims of the earthquake that hit Sichuan province in southwestern China on Monday.

The relay is scheduled to head to Jiangxi province Wednesday as it continues its three-month journey through China culminating in Beijing with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron on August 8 to begin the Games.

“The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Games (BOCOG), together with local provincial governments, have made a joint decision that all participants of the torch relay will observe one minute of silence at the beginning of the relay in each of the following stops,” BOCOG said in a statement.

“Donation points will also be set up along the route of the relay.”

On Monday, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Wenchuan county in Sichuan province, and more than 10,000 people have reportedly been killed.

Li Zhanjun, a BOCOG spokesman, said earlier Tuesday that there were no immediate plans to change the relay’s route in the earthquake-devastated Sichuan province.

The torch is to be carried through seven towns and cities in Sichuan from June 15 to 18. They include Mianyang and Guanghuan, both close to the epicenter, and the provincial capital of Chengdu.

[Paul R.]

Depending on the source, there were 3 or 4 major New Madrid quakes, with 3 being near or at magnitude 8.0, and, it would seem, the last big one possibly being the greatest. There were also thousands of other “aftershocks”, and I believe I read somewhere that the ground was in motion nearly continually for about a month. The geology in this region also helps transmit the waves efficiently — check out the map showing damage areas in the excellent article on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Earthquake

(Lots more links there too...)

[Paul R.]

Depending on the source, there were 3 or 4 major New Madrid quakes, with 3 being near or at magnitude 8.0, and, it would seem, the last big one possibly being the greatest. There were also thousands of other “aftershocks”, and I believe I read somewhere that the ground was in motion nearly continually for about a month. The geology in this region also helps transmit the waves efficiently — check out the map showing damage areas in the excellent article on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Earthquake

(Lots more links there too...)

[elsewhere_zzk]

Thank you all for your attention to the earthquake in Sichuan, China. My hometown is in Deyang, China, which is suffering in the earthquake.

In Sichuan Province, tens of thousands people have been killed and much more people are buried in debris.

http://media.theaustralian.com.au/multimedia/2008/05/13-quake/index.html
Here are some heartbreaking pictures.

Thank you guys so much for your kindness and warm heart.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I’ll second that!

When I was growing up in the 70s, I remember being told that the second ice age was coming. That the earth was cooling.

Funny how things warmed up so much now, huh?

Al Gore now has his carbon offset profits to count.

[Paul R.]

Hmmm... I have no idea why that double posted...

BTW, while I may be discussing the New Madrid earthquakes from a sort of scientific / objective comparison standpoint, there is no comparison in terms of the human death & suffering. We will have our turn though — Memphis and St. Louis are looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. (I know - I live in the area.) So, anyone who is not compassionate toward the people of China had better get a grip & remember it IS going to happen here, too.

[Paul R.]

I guess I will intrude here and say to just post whatever new information you can that you are pretty sure is accurate. Or correct one of us if we are wrong about something.

I have not been on FR for quite some time, but I logged on knowing there would be lots of information here. (I have many Chinese friends and as of yesterday, a Chinese sister in law! My brother got married in Handan!) I am delighted that so many Chinese persons are helping to contribute information (even if it is mostly heartbreaking information.) You (all of you) are a silver lining in this very dark cloud.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[chinaboy]

Hello，MARKUSPRIME，I feel sorry about your family.Our existence is far more tenuous than we might think.Place your hand over your chest and feel your heartbeat.That is actually your life clock ticking,and one day it will stop.That is 100 percent guaranteed,and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.Like everyone else,we will have some days that are better than others.Occasionally,everything may seem like a total disaster area.Just like the tough times we have.So let us give our prayers to all kindly people and thanks to the god for we still alive. MARKUSPRIME,I am a Chinese,15 years old student in nanning,guangxi province.I also lost father because the cancer in 2 years ago.I felt very sad ,very helpless but didn’t felt helpless.Because I know my father never leave away from me.And my father taught me that ever problem has a lifespan.No problem is permanent.Storms always give way to the sun.Winter always thaws into springtime. All problem will be solved. MARKUSPRIME,In this tough time,you may not be able to control the times, but you can compose your response.You can turn your pain into protanity---or into poetry.Of cause,the choice is up to you.You may not have chosen your tough time,but you can choose how you will react to it. Life is very like a mirror:if you smile upon it ,it smiles back upon you;but if you frown and look doubtful on it ,you will get a similar look in return.Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner,but of all that come in contact with it.who shuts love out,in turn shall be from love. MARKUSPRIME,I guess you have never been to china before,and you know nothing about the Chinese culture and history at all.You learn about china form the Western media. I must to say, I really don’t see any love, generosity, friendship or cooperation from the recent report of Western media and politics,except full of bias/distortion. And Most of the time, you westerns don't really realize that they are just biases - you think you're just being reasonable. So, MARKUSPRIME,I don’t want to talk about politics,but I want to tell you about my feeling,as an ordinary Chinese.In my experience,you (American/ westerns)always believe in youselves,as you do not believe in others.You permit all things to youselves,and that which you call sin in others.So you criticize all the time. For me, I was rich,if not meney,in sunny hours and summer days.I can go shares my beatufull time with my nearest and dearest.So,however mean my life is,I just meet it and live it;never shut it and call it hard names.It is not so bad as I am.As we know,the fault-finder will find faults even in paradise.So I love my peaceful life,poor as it is.I may perhapshave some pleasant,thrilling,glorious hours,even in a poor-house.The setting sun is reflected from the window of the alms-house as brightly as from yours abode.So let me be grateful that I have suffered no intolerable wrong,no terrible woe of flesh or spirit,such as my fathers(grandfathers). Is it not much to have accomplished so large a part of the mortal journey with so much ease? This day,I pay my attention to some guys’ words,those makes me feel confused. I don’t know why do we get so hung up on what we don’t agree on,when in fact it’s our differences that make life interesting?After all,half the world is upside down,so there’s absolutely no reason why we would all agree on everything.Even something as basic and profound as”Don’t chew with your mounth open” is not as widely accepted as you might think. Why is it that when passions are inflamed we choose to argue and fight,when dancing the cha-cha is less injurious,far more enjoyable,and equally effective in resolving thesion?And why do we feel drawn together sometimes,yet we steadily build up defensive barriers around our innermost feelings and beliefs so we can never be truly close to anyone? I think , we all have filters on, so we mostly see only what we want to see.So, when you finally open your eyes,you may be shocked at the obscured way you have been viewing the world to suit your own little plans.With those filters removed,you can take a closer look into yourself and others. Finally,I want to say, MARKUSPRIME,your apologetic post make me warm.So I decide to say some words to you and to all kindly American,whom pray for the vitcims in the earthquake.THANK YOU.In the end, MARKUSPRIME,I wanna say to you,tough times never last,but tough people do.Storms always give way to the sun.Winter always thaws into springtime.Your storm will pass.Your wither will thaw.Your problem will be solved.And ours too.(I expect you and all the american in this board can see what I said)

[Lijahsbubbe]

Those pictures are very heartbreaking. They literally brought me to tears.

The children get to me the most. Poor little babies. And I’ve seen quite a few photos where children are so close to being freed, but are just wedged.

I see also that the caption says that one of the buildings is a hospital.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I am very impressed with your English, as well as that of everyone else posting here from China! I don’t believe that any of us have had a problem understanding what you are saying. Your English is fine and by reading and writing in English, you will get better and better at it!

Having said that, I think that something which is not easily translated is feeling, emotion and especially humor. Americans here often have a sarcastic tone and I believe that is why there has been a lot of confusion and misunderstanding here in this thread. Even Americans sometimes can’t distinguish between someone being serious or sarcastic. And yes, there are a small few who have not been very nice here at all, and our moderators have taken action. Nastiness is not tolerated here at all.

I am glad that so many Chinese people have come here to share their thoughts, albeit under such horrible circumstances. Please know that we do wish that you might give us more of a chance in the weeks and months to come. We’d really like for you to stick around. Perhaps read about all the American election coverage right here, and see how real Americans feel about the process, the candidates, etc. Most of us come here to FR to get our news because our national media is very biased. Our network television often tells us what *they* want us to hear.

Anyway, maybe in the months to come, I know that I would love to learn more about your people, your government, and maybe even address misperceptions of one another. But that is for another time. Prayers and assistance are what is needed most right now.

[Aquamarine]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights, you are very wise for a 15 year old.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

WOW! For a 15 year old boy, you have amazing insight and maturity! Your father taught you well!

[chinaboy]

Oh God,I have spended the whole day to write this essay.Thanks for your reading.:)