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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).

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.

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