Teams take just 9 hours to help quake injured
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E-mail Xinhua, November 24, 2014
The death toll from a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck a remote part of China’s southwest rose to five yesterday, with 54 others injured. The injured included schoolchildren hurt in a stampede.
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Medical staff and rescue workers check students from a primary school in Kangding yesterday. |
The central government announced it will disperse 50 million yuan (US$8.16 million) to disaster relief efforts in Sichuan Province after the quake hit at 4:55pm on Saturday about 30 kilometers from the county seat of Kangding.
The money, which was processed jointly by the civil affairs and finance ministries, will cover the relocation of those affected by the earthquake; care and life assistance initiatives; the repair and reconstruction of residences; and subsidies for the surviving family members of those who have died in the disaster.
One person was also missing as of yesterday afternoon, according to a statement from the Ganzi prefecture government, which oversees Kangding.
The dead included a woman in her 70s who was struck by a falling window pane, said Chen Yunbing, a doctor at the region’s Ganzi People’s Hospital.
A stampede at a primary school in Tagong Town during the quake led to 19 children being injured.
A total of 25,000 houses were damaged, affecting about 79,500 people and forcing 6,200 to relocate, according to the Garze prefecture government. Reports said no building collapsed, thanks to massive shantytown renovation and infrastructure improvement in recent years.
The epicenter of the quake was at the town of Tagong, where a police rescue team arrived two hours after the quake struck.
Six military aircraft, 60 medical staff and nearly 1,000 soldiers and militia remain on standby.
Within a period of nine hours, emergency services were able to successfully rescue all those who had been injured after the quake hit.
Reporters from Xinhua news agency arrived at Kangding at 2am yesterday, seven hours after departing from the provincial capital of Chengdu. The roads were found to be still accessible.
A doctor at the People’s Hospital of Garze in Kangding, Li Tao, confirmed that one patient had undergone surgery while another two were being treated for spine and head injuries.
Kungar Como, 20, and her grandmother were at their home in Tagong when the earthquake struck.
Tagong, the epicenter, is 37 kilometers from the county seat.
“We felt a strong tremor, so I helped my grandmother outside. But she was hit by a collapsing wall,” said Kungar. “People soon came to our aid and she was on her way to hospital about half an hour after the quake.”
Six of the injured were in critical condition, while another five had severe injuries. The remaining 43 people suffered minor injuries, according to the prefecture government.
The Central Earthquake Administration and Sichuan Provincial Earthquake Administration launched a Grade II emergency response and sent work teams to Kangding.
Power facilities, tents and quilts have been sent to the worst affected areas.
Sichuan, which neighbors the Tibet Autonomous Region, has a history of earthquakes.
A massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan on May 12, 2008, resulting in more than 80,000 people dead or missing.
On April 20, 2013, a 7.0-magnitude quake hit Lushan, killing at least 196.
Chinese leaders have urged all-out rescue efforts.
The provincial and civil affairs authorities must be swift in organizing rescue and relief work and do their best to minimize casualties, said President Xi Jinping.
Xi asked local authorities to strengthen post-quake monitoring and prevent secondary disasters, and make sure to take good care of the people affected.
He also ordered the military and armed police to support and help with relief efforts.
Premier Li Keqiang also ordered an immediate verification of the damage and all-out rescue and relief efforts.
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