Earthquake in China
As you may know, a powerful earthquake measured 7.8 on richter scale hit Sichuan, south-western province of China early yesterday. The earthquake was felt from Beijing to as far as Pakistan’s northland region and Bangkok, Thailand.
The latest death toll is at least 10,000 people are feared dead.
I have some close relatives and many friends in the Chengdu City, provincial capital of Sichuan Province and surrounding regions. The city is just located about 100 km away from the epicentre. I’m still unable to contact most of them at the moment due to heavy destruction of telecommunication equipment in the area.
The city government has confirmed that at least 300 people have died. From the ones I’m able to contact, I understand that most of 5 million+ Chengdu people in the city were too afraid to go home, they have spent last night on the street, with occasional heavy rains.
In towns close to the epicentre, which I have visited most of them before, thousands of people have died. In one county alone, up to 5,000 people are feared dead.
And the authority is still struggling to reach the epicentre, towns in Wenchuan County. I’ve been to the region before, I still remember clearly that during my visit I have to be on the car for a whole day to travel just 450km in this mountainous region .
There are at least 60,000 people live just right on the epicentre and we still know nothing about their situation because all the road are blocked and the heavy rain prevented helicopters to reach the region.
I pray for the god to show mercy on those people.
Have you managed to get in touch with your friends and family yet? I hope and pray they're all safe.
Except one suffered from minor fractures, all of my friends and family members are now confirmed safe...
However, some of them are very traumatised by what they went through, and still too affraid to go inside a building. Apart from financial aid, I think they will definitely need help from psychological professionals.
Good to hear they're safe.
From where I sit in Beijing it looks like all of China, including China's foreign residents, are fully behind the rescue efforts and everybody is giving what they can.