Posted on 05/19/2008 7:47:21 PM PDT by blam
Warning panics China quake zone
People in Sichuan are jittery after dozens of aftershocks
People slept on the streets or drove to open ground and hospitals evacuated patients in towns and cities after the warning was broadcast on TV.
The 7.9 magnitude quake struck on 12 May. More than 71,000 people are dead, buried or missing.
China has begun three days of mourning exactly one week after the quake hit.
Multiple aftershocks
On Monday, a statement from the National Seismology Bureau was read out on television, triggering the panic.
People in cities across the quake-hit area rushed out of their homes carrying pillows and blankets.
Roads out Sichuan's provincial capital, Chengdu, were jammed as people headed for the open ground of the province's agricultural plains.
It is not the first panic to hit the earthquake-weary residents of Sichuan.
The entire population of the city of Beichuan, close to the epicentre, rushed for high ground on Saturday amid fears that it could be engulfed by a river bursting its banks.
There have already been dozens of aftershocks, 23 alone have been stronger than level 5. The biggest has been 6.1.
Chinese media have said mudslides have buried 200 relief workers in the past three days.
Tents needed
On Monday at 1428 local time (0628 GMT), people across the country fell silent for three minutes as air-raid sirens wailed and car horns honked.
All public entertainment has been cancelled and presenters on state television are wearing black. The Olympic torch relay has been suspended for three days and flags are flying at half-mast.
In addition to those dead or buried, more than 220,000 people were injured in the quake.
QUAKE STATISTICS
Up to Monday 19 May:
34,073 dead
9,509 buried and 29,418 missing in Sichuan province
220,109 injured
145 aftershocks above level 4, 23 above level 5, biggest 6.1
34,000 medical staff in quake zone
181,460 tents, 220,000 quilts despatched
6bn Chinese yuan ($860m, £440m) received in donations, from China and abroad
Drinking water for 7m people restored
Source: Chinese government
The quake was centred in the mountains north-west of Chengdu.
Nick Mackie was one of the first foreign journalists to reach the Yinchangguo region, close to the epicentre.
He says the popular tourist region was devastated first by the earthquake and then by massive landslides that swept away villages and buried hotels, guest houses and farmers' home stays.
An unknown number of villagers and tourists lie under the rocks and mud, he says.
Although across the region a few survivors are still being pulled from beneath collapsed buildings, the rescue effort has now focused on providing food, shelter and drinking water for the millions of people affected by the earthquake.
The foreign ministry appealed on Monday to the international community to provide tents for the more than 4.5m people whose homes have been destroyed.
Persistent rain is compounding the misery for the homeless.
And the weather may deteriorate, with rains turning torrential later in the week, potentially triggering more landslides, Chinese forecasters said.
How heartbreaking.
Every time I hear about disasters like this, it makes me grateful that all I have to deal with is snow, much as I hate it.
ping
I thought that China could stop rain.
So sad for the people.
Does anyone know where this is in relation to the dam? I’ve read some speculation on the weight of the water causing seismic events. Is this related?
Not sure, I have been trying to find links to the radar in China, but can’t find any. But there are many damaged dams. The falling mountains and rock has made dams that is backing up water behind them. This is bad. We can hope that survivors are going to higher ground.
The biggest problem seems to be natural lakes being created behind landslides and log dams, and their natural instability is giving folks the jitters with every aftershock.
The second problem is dams in the mountains that cracked during the quake and may burst due to heavy rains and weakened foundations.
If all these dams burst the water would flood numerous areas before they worked their way to the Three Gorges area.
Now, if one wanted to speculate that these disasters are Mother Gaia throwing off the yoke of communism or pagan anger at the Olympics ...
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