China quake toll soars as full horror begins to emerge (China Quake Info Thread 2)

AFP ^ | 5/14/08 | AFP

[stlnative]

China quake toll soars as full horror begins to emerge

14/05/2008

DUJIANGYAN (AFP) - The full horror of the devastating China earthquake began to emerge Wednesday as rescuers discovered whole towns all but wiped off the map, pushing the death toll well above 20,000.

Military and police teams punched into the heart of the disaster zone, with 100 troops parachuting into a county that was previously cut off while planes and helicopters air-dropped emergency supplies.

But the message that came back from this mountainous corner of southwestern Sichuan province was that town after town was flattened by the 7.9-magnitude quake that struck two days ago.

The death toll has soared well above 20,000, but that toll is rising by the hour as more information comes in from stricken communities.

"The losses have been severe," Wang Yi, who heads an armed police unit sent into the epicentre zone, was quoted as saying by Sichuan Online news site.

"Some towns basically have no houses left. They have all been razed to the ground."

A least 7,700 people died in the small town of Yingxiu alone, state media cited a local government official as saying, with only 2,300 surviving.

Across Sichuan, countless thousands more people are missing or buried under the rubble of shattered homes, schools and factories.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said 100,000 military personnel and police had been mobilised, indicating the epic scale of the country's worst earthquake in a generation.

The air drop started with planes and helicopters flying dozens of sorties, dropping tonnes of food and relief aid into the worst-hit zone, most of it cut off from the outside world by landslides and road closures.

The destruction around the epicentre in remote Wenchuan county is massive, with whole mountainsides sheared off, highways ripped apart and building after building levelled.

Rescue teams have been seen pulling bodies and badly injured survivors out of the ruins.

As well as Yingxiu, CCTV television said air drops were also made in nearby Mianyang -- where the death toll jumped to nearly 5,500 -- as well as Mianzhu and Pengzhou.

Helicopters also flew to Wenchuan with food, drinks, tents, communications equipment and other supplies.

The rescue effort has been badly disrupted since Monday by heavy rain, and the Meteorological Authority forecasting more later in the week, raising the risk of fresh landslides.

Amid the setbacks, the nation focused on the precious minutes going by for those who were buried under rubble but may have survived.

Cries for help were heard from a flattened school in Yingxiu, where people were forced to try and dig out survivors with their hands, state media said.

"The situation in Yingxiu is even worse than expected," one local official said.

In towns and villages across a swathe of Sichuan, heart-rending scenes were played out as grief-stricken families searched for missing loved ones.

In the city of Mianzhu, where at least 3,000 died, rescuers picked through twisted metal and concrete trying to find people whose voices could be heard under the rubble.

"My younger brother is in there," 42-year-old Li -- his eyes bloodshot from sleep deprivation -- said next to a heap that was once a bank.

The local disaster relief headquarters said rescuers had been able to pull 500 people alive out of the debris of collapsed buildings, but 20,000 in three outer villages were still out of reach.

Wednesday's leg of the Olympic torch relay in eastern Jianxi province began with a minute's silence before the runners set off.

Organisers of the Beijing Olympics said they would scale down the relay as the torch makes it way to the capital for the summer Games, a further knock to its troubled round-the-world journey after earlier protests over Tibet.

World powers including the United States, European Union and United Nations as well as the International Olympic Committee have rallied round with offers of help.

China welcomed the offers but said conditions were "not yet ripe" to allow in foreign rescue teams, citing damage to transport links.

A Japanese foreign ministry official in charge of emergency aid said Japan offered rescue teams with sniffer dogs, but China had made no request.

US President George W. Bush and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao discussed the disaster by telephone, with Washington offering half a million dollars in initial disaster aid.

[DB]

Why aren’t the major news outlets here covering this more???

Unbelievable.

[Teacher317]

They may not want the Chinese people to see our modern aircraft, vehicles, supplies and food stuffs either.

LOL, I was in southern China last week, and was surprised to see the commercials for a hand-held GPS system that attaches to your car, or your bicycle. Modern toys are not foreign in China. I dare say that there were more high-end digital cameras in private hands on the Olympic torch relay route in Guangzhou than were on hand for the Atlanta Olympics torch relay. As for aircraft, well I'm still amazed by the F-22 that I saw last year at an air show. One can't blame anyone else in the world for marvelling at something awesome like that... but then again, China's own aircraft aren't that far behind, either.

“What, Americans don’t hate us? They aren’t devils?” Can’t have that get out.

Americans are not hated by the Chinese. The Chinese word for America is Mei Guo... literally translated, it means "Beautiful Country". They know we don't hate them, either. They understand that we're a bit concerned about so much of our industry being replaced by Chinese factories, but I think they know that our biggest concerns are with their government, and not their people or culture.

As with every nation and culture on earth, one must be careful to remember that the people and the government are always two distinct entities. Most Americans hate America's government, so it's no surprise to discover that most of the world's citizens also hate America's government... but few societies (outside of the evil French) show any dislike or disdain for American citizens. We are widely known in China, and throughout the world, for being kind, generous, helpful, happy, fun, and involved. Further, China's experience in WWII was traumatic (the city of Nanjing lost more people in mere months than were killed in the Holocaust in all of Europe in 5 years, and just as brutally), and America was the primary Allied force in the area turning back the Japanese army. Even a Cultural Revolution cannot change those memories.

[stefanbatory]

Obama sneezed...didn't you see them covering it? priorities are different for them, I guess...

[stefanbatory]

i know I put a /sarc/ in there...grrrrr

[Tainan]

Maybe 'Lao Wai'(big nose) or 'Wai Guo'(simply means foreigner) would be a bit more accurate as to some of the names for non-Chinese or westerners that are used...and also more commonly used by the general populace for 'foreigners.'
And then there is that 'shing lang' thing...but we won't go into that one.

So they told you it means 'beautiful country' did they?
Were you offered a deal on an old and long wall also?...;)

[communion]

I try to translate some locale describer source TianYa BBS:
(by dint of a electronic dictionary)
----the second locale describer by a doctor 2008-5-14 12:07:00

如果没在成都经历地震，那么请不要胡乱猜疑！！！
if you not stay at ChengDou(disaster area),please don't be a leary man
　　我只想说以下几个事实：
I only say follow fact
　　1成都社会秩序良好
no confusion in ChengDou,it's calm
　　太阳也出现了一边
sun is shining
　　震波还在
aftershock still exist
　　但是女朋友单位已经开始上班
my girlfriend(GF) is working now
　　 2送女朋友上班的时候看见一个是ab 血型，专门骑车到建设路口找献血点
when I saw my GF go to work,I saw a blood donor come by bike
　　 　　3我的手机收到到了政府发的收购帐篷和雨具的信息
there's a message to my mobile,that gov want buy more tabernacle and more rain gear
　　 　　4我们一家是医生，舅舅收到消息可能要文川去医疗，甚至可能是空投！！！
my family all are doctors,my uncle will be going to WenChuan ,he even maybe need do a parachute jump
　　 　　5父亲在的医院第一时间拿到了帐篷
the hospitel which my father work for have got some tabernacle
　　 　　6震波中营业员还在营业！！
store are already business
　　 　　7献血点长龙
a lot of blood donor stand in a line
　　 　　8我家裂口了，打了110，3分钟他们来了，告之我最好出去避难，我现在没办法回家
there's a crack in my house,I called 110(Police phone NO.),three minutes,they come,they told me it's better to not stay at home
　　 　　9我买凉席和被子在外面住，老板按平时甚至更低的价格卖给我们 　　30元！！！
I buy a matting and a quilt,the peddlery get money less than ordinary price
　　 　　我们需要的是 秩序！！！！！！！！！ 　　如果政府需要，我可以马上到灾区，哪怕我还没研究生毕业正式成为医生，哪怕我的专业是烧伤
if gov need ,I will go to disaster area,although I am a medical graduate student
　　 　　大家一定要冷静
we must be calm
　　 　　我记得我在楼最摇晃的时候发、给女朋友的短信
I remember,I have send a message to my GF when the house was wabbling
　　 　　我可能要死了，不后悔，下辈子还在一起
message:"I maybe die,I'm not regret (for together),I'll accompany you forever"
　　 　　灾难也给了我很多东西，至少我能下定和她在一起一辈子的决心 　　 　　面对灾难，我们做好我们能做的，相信政府！
face to disaster, do what we can do ,believe gov

[Teacher317]

According to my dictionary, the character "mei" that means "beautiful, pretty, lovely" is the same character used in MeiGuo... where is that translation wrong?

I did not discern this myself, though. I was told "beautiful country" by a charming university student at an English Corner 3 years ago... but the reaction of the other Chinese there did tell me that it was more clever than educational, LOL. I just don't see where the translation isn't literal. Can you help clarify for me? (My Putonghua vocab is still less than 400 words, and my reading and writing list is less than 200 words, but I'm making strides when I can!)

[agere_contra]

there's a message to my mobile,that gov want buy more tabernacle and more rain gear

Sounds like the auto-translator was programmed using the King James Bible. That should be 'tent', of course.

[bd476]

Thank you for the link Kchoho. The photos show what happens during a 7.9 magnitude quake.

7.9 Earthquake May 12, 2008
Shifang Sichuan China


Today again I heard USGS Dr. Lucy Jones talking about the certainty of a major quake occurring on the San Andreas fault in less than 30 years. "We are long overdue" said Dr. Jones.

When the San Andreas fault goes, the shaking will last at least 100 seconds compared to the few seconds shaking which occurred during the Northridge earthquake.

Dr. Jones mentioned that there were many buildings built during the 60s and early 70s which despite their being "earthquake compliant" back then, will not be able to withstand that large of an earthquake.

It's not a matter of "if" it is a matter of "when."

• Two weeks supply of food per person
  
• Two weeks supply of water per person
  
• Two weeks supply of food per pet,
  
• Two weeks supply of water per pet,
  
• Emergency medical supplies, one for car, one for home
  
• Cash on hand
  
• List of emergency phone numbers
  
• List of out of state family emergency contacts
  
• Battery operated or hand crank radio
  
• Flashlights - at least one person
  
• Batteries for the flashlights
  
• Sleeping bags one per person
  
• Blankets,
  
• Tent,
  
• Cooking gear,
  
• Full tank of gas for your car,
  
• Spare set of clothes and shoes per person, etc.

God Bless this woman. I pray that she survived and that her relatives will be able to help her get back to a normal life soon.

These people receiving outdoor medical care are the lucky ones, but I imagine they don't feel very lucky.

Hospitals were also damaged during the Northridge earthquake, a 6.4 magnitude quake. The main major trauma center for the entire San Fernando Valley, Northridge Hospital was closed for months while repairs were made.

[Teacher317]

Thanks for the translations, Communion. I pray for the best for all of your family and friends. Your perspective is most welcome here.

When I left Guangzhou last week, my closest friends there were hoping to return home to Sichuan. I am glad that their plans were delayed!

(By the way, I think you mean to write “tent” rather than “tabernacle”, which is usually a large religious building.)

[communion]

tent ,OK,I know, thanks a lot

[Alia]

Very apt for you to include the Lucy Jones material in this thread.

When the San Andreas fault goes, the shaking will last at least 100 seconds compared to the few seconds shaking which occurred during the Northridge earthquake.

I was a distance from Northridge, and Northridge was yet quite an experience.

[wolfcreek]

Yesterday, a ticker said, “Massive earthquake will not effect China’s booming economy.”

It’s nice other countries, including the US, offer help but, the ticker said it all.

[bd476]

Alia wrote: "Very apt for you to include the Lucy Jones material in this thread."

Thank you Alia.

Alia wrote: "I was a distance from Northridge, and Northridge was yet quite an experience."

I was not far enough away from Northridge and also was sitting on a previously unknown fault line. I'm pretty sure I'm repeating myself here but on my block nine buildings came down that day. We were slammed from the Northridge quake then slammed again because of the independent earthquake in the previously undetected fault line.

Miraculously only the inside contents of my apartment were tossed around or destroyed, not the building itself. Next door, the walls went from vertical to horizontal and the floors buckled upwards into a point.

Two doors down from my building, another building instantly converted from being a three story building into a two story building. Thank God no one was home in the first floor apartment.

After the earthquake, if I hadn't known that there were three stories in that building prior to the quake, it would have been very difficult to see where the first floor used to be. The first floor was flattened down so much that only the second story apartment seemed to be half-way lowered into the subterranean parking garage.

[Alia]

Really shakes ya' up don't it? Northridge was a 6.7 but the ground acceleration was the highest ever recorded in urban America. 1989 Loma Prieta was much, much closer to me. A 6.9, and lasted 15 seconds. I was on the phone with a friend about 40 minutes drive away, who'd just moved "here" from Chicago, when the quake hit, and on my way with a puke pan for one of my kids with the flu. It hit, I remember yelling into the phone "quake!", about 30 seconds later, my friend was yelling into the phone back at me that she was NOW experiencing the quake too.

Lucy Jones: suggesting a quake to last 100 seconds.

After Loma Prieta, I discovered I disliked the aftershocks more than the quake. Would it get bigger or were the aftershocks getting smaller...

[TXnMA]

Thank you! Seeing the elderly and the children in such distress saddens me very much. Prayers from Texas!

[ChocChipCookie]

Those photos break my heart.

[communion]

YingXiu town (WenChuan county) be razed

CCTV video

YingXiu all be razed

[communion]

YingXiu town maybe the real center of this quake

[Aquamarine]

Do you have a ping list to ping the Chinese FReepers to this thread?