Earthquake in China

white (colour of mourning) banner in Tianfu Square today:

身切哀悼四川汶川大地震遇难同胞

shēnqiē āidào sìchuān wènchuān dà dìzhèn yùnán tóngbāo

Deep mourning for our Sichuan Wenchuan great earthquake fallen compatriots

this earthqake is a huge tragedy. since yester i don't read the any news about it,because i can't help myself to cry. lots of students and children died, they are so young and they are the hope of Country!but...

This is from taken from the website of an organisation involved in relief work (www.alphacommunities.org)

"Chengdu, May 19th, 2008

We are now in the second week of relief efforts after the earthquake. The immediate crisis response of saving people buried under the rubble is giving way to concerted efforts to prevent disease and making sure survivors have at least minimal shelter, food and clothing.

We have been offered free warehousing in Mianyang to use as a staging area. There are also living quarters ready there for volunteers who daily go out to help those who come walking out of the hills. Yesterday one volunteer told about a group of villagers that he came across on the road. They had walked for eight hours. One man was carrying a woman who had a broken hip. Another one was carrying a relative with a skull fracture. There is a great need to help severely traumatized people, beyond the immediate physical needs, with simple comfort, a kind word and a few minutes to share their grief.

Yesterday was the first day with no major after shock since the main earthquake, though more may still come. The dams are all holding so far. So far there has been no major outbreak of disease. The army has started to bury victims in mass graves. The death toll as of last night is 33,000 and the injured number 220,000. Soldiers are also clearing away dead livestock. All survivors are sprayed with disinfectant to prevent cholera and other infectious diseases.

We are starting to plan for longer term reconstruction and are hoping to send people up to areas further into the mountains, to assess needs. One of the big issues will be to get fields, now buried in rubble, ready for planting again. People up in the mountains depend on small plots of land where they grow corn and beans for their survival through the next winter."

I wish there could be more I can do to help

My heartfelt condolences and prayers go to the affected people. Glad to know that Cpoddies are fine. Meanwhile, my university is doing our best in collecting donations in hope that it'll make a little difference.

Just read about a Y5000 compensation package for families that have lost a member as well as a Y10 daily food allowance for victims but not sure how long it will last.

It's still crazy here though, last night there was another bad aftershock that panicked everyone, and a bad storm on top of it...and a guy stole my half eaten breakfast right off the tray this morning as I was at the counter getting a coffee refill. (Not really sure if that incident was quake-related, but I would be kind of mad otherwise.)

Also, while the majority of casualties will certainly be in urban areas, I wonder about all the mountain villages and homesteads. Lots of those home's foundations were simply a bunch of rocks piled up to level off the hillside. I guess it beats 30 stories of rubble but, given the difficulty reaching the larger towns, those people must be pretty much on their own for quite a while.

There are months and months of rebuilding of communities ahead of us... Now it is just finding survivors and helping them with food, water, shelter, medication and care for the injured. It's good to not forget that once the spotlight of the media has moved on to other subjects, people in the earthquake-hit area will still depend on people willing to donate, so that government and aid organisations can assist the people in rebuilding their lives.

So what I'm still trying to figure out is this.

When the luckiest people drag their relatives from the rubble alive, there will be a lot of serious injuries. Let's assume that they can get to a hospital somehow, and get treatment. They're going to have to pay the full price of that treatment, aren't they?

It sounds like the majority of these people would have found that hard or impossible, even if they did still have their home, their livelihood, and their breadwinners.

So what's going to happen? Will they just take them home, give them a cuppa and a bandage, and hope that the injuries will heal before they starve to death? Oh, wait, they don't have a home do they.

How's it gonna pan out for the survivors? Have I misunderstood something?

Here are two more organizations involved with the relief efforts:

1. I know the founder of this ministry, Dennis Balcombe, and it is a worthy ministry with great integrity. They have accounts in China, H.K., Australia, Germany and Switzerland.

http://www.rcmi.ac/eng.htm

2. This organization runs orphanages in Central China; they also have international donation accounts:

http://www.caringfor.....nation.htm

it seems like the cpod is cutting my account here? i was hoping i can make some friends here with you guys,shoot. anyway,nice meeting you,this is my msn ,hope i can help you chinese out there: vcjason1.5@hotmail.com....see you

I have just received an e-mail from our excellent city magazine, Chengdoo- the salient points of which are on their website:

http://www.chengdoo.com/

It covers the water situation etc.

I dunno, my water is already back on (though who knows for how long) and I didn't notice any rushes on stores in my area except for big lineups outside water places.

This articles says the pollution was all a rumour, but I am kind of curious who this '一位市民' might be...

http://news.sohu.com/20080514/n256853259.shtml

oh god, more news from Laura

"Water is going off for 5-10 days due to pollution and chemical leaks so the stores are being completely bought out of all food and supplies. Shelves are empty even in Carrefour.

We've put water in just about anything we can at home so we don't run out too fast."

i'm actually thinking about going out to Chengdu ASAP to see what i can do..

My heart goes out to those who have lost homes and loved ones.

Growing up in southern California I have been in many earthquakes, but nothing nearly as strong as 7.8. It must have been horrific.

mdtubio: I like the idea of adopting a city/town. What can we do ?

-David

okay, latest updates from 成都...this is from my friend Laura[she is from New Zealand..]

"Spent the night inside, but there continuous aftershocks. They stopped for a few hours bet then we had another very strong one which lasted half a minute about an hour ago. It's been pouring with rain, and a lot of people are still camping out in their cars. Schools are closed etc....

Officially, 959 people have been pronounced dead in Chengdu due the quake.

Aid is being sent from here now with teams of people, which my dad might possibly go on..."

so that is the latest news from chengdu...

这两天到处都是关于四川汶川7.8级地震的报道。看到那些地震后废墟的照片，看到那些失去亲人痛苦的人们的照片，看到那些死难者的照片，心情真的非常的沉重，非常不想看到这样的灾难发生。

we had checked out that we have no student come from Sichuan province in our department yesterday. But other departments have some and my colleagues try their best to help their students to contact with their families.

oh, and at least on the 成都 southside, everything is basically working again...resaturates are opening as are the Hongqi's and other corner stores.. haha, that is the 成都 attitude that i love...=]

i lived in 新都 [Xindu] which is about 45 mins. out of 成都 [Chengdu] 四川[Sichuan] i am in America now but I have many friends still in the 成都 area...they are all safe and they say the city is basically okay..everyone is a bit shaken up but relatively safe..I forget how many died in the city, but it's not too many..

I am still quite shaken up about this..keep praying

The UK site is as well:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/news.asp?id=81083

The Red Cross in the US is collecting donations to send to Sichuan. There is a link here:

http://www.redcross.org/news/in/profiles/Intl_profile_ChinaEarthquake.html

You can click on the donate now button and then select the international relief fund.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in the region who are suffering. My wife's parents in Xinye, Henan province felt the earthquake but fortunately their town seems to have been spared any damage. The Red Cross site is down; can Chinesepod users unite and help somehow? It would be nice to pull together and help. Philadelphia's sister city is Tianjin, I'll think about how our church might be able to "adopt" a city and help them rebuild. I'd welcome any ideas - mdtubio@yahoo.com. Xiexie!

Please forgive my intrusion as I am starting Chinese for the first time. I just wanted to add my thoughts and prayers are with all those that are suffering in China and also those that cannot get back to their villages,towns and families.

I am so pleased to see that the Government are so well prepared and it must show other countries how much they care for thier people unlike some.

God be with you all in this time of need.

多灾的二oo八:

"好好过个年吧，遇雪灾了；

好好上个网吧，艳照门了；

好好传递火炬吧，闹藏独了；

发展农村医疗吧，发手足口病了；

买点股票吧，大小非减持了；

坐火车吧，还出轨了；

在家待着吧，还地震了"

今年的中国真的是很不顺的一年，但是我觉得这正是考验我们的时候，相信自己的祖国会顺利的度过这一切。加油中国！

prayers, wisdom and strength for the rescuers and survivors

comfort to the people who lost their loved ones

Aftershocks continue. The loss of any life prematurely is tragic and heart wrenching, so hard to imagine how any community deals with it on this scale. With many Chinese workers in two casinos and at Pfizer research here in the area (SE Connecticut, USA) there's much concern about family and friends back home. I feel for all of them having family living in Sri Lanka and trying to get through during the sunami. The followinging links provide continuous updates http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Maps/degree10/105_35.php and http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Maps/degree10/105_35_eqs.php

Good information about the cause, magnitude and what can be expected as the earth resettles following this major shift.

Oh no. Lord no. They're showing footage of young parents wailing over rows of small bodies now, this is so sad.

I'm somewhere that has a cable subscription to CCTV4, and there is NOTHING as beautiful as watching children being pulled, alive, from rubble. God bless the Chinese rescue teams who -- from what I can see and hear on the cable feed -- are not only saving lives, but talking to the children (as 叔叔) in an incredibly appropriate and reassuring way despite what must be massive personal fatigue. Every time the rescue teams sent up a cheer because somebody had been pulled out, I started crying again. I'm absolutely useless today. These Chinese heroes have my greatest respect. Take care.

Over in the Pudong New Area where I am staying we did not know about it until we heard it on television news. Some of the taller office buildings downtown felt a bit of swaying and were evacuated!

Can't get through to the Red Cross site at all.

Thanks for the donation information Jenny. This is such a tragedy especially with all the young affected. My heartfelt thoughts are with the people of China in this time of distress.

From Shanghiist.com, a local expat site: http://shanghaiist.com/2008/05/13/red_cross_society_earthquake_sichuan.php

Red Cross Society of China now calling for donations for Sichuan earthquake

By Sue Anne Tay

For those who are looking to contribute to current aid efforts underway, you can now donate money to the Red Cross Society of China which has formed a disaster relief working group to be dispatched to the earthquake-stricken Wenchuan County in Sichuan.

Account name: Red Cross Society of China

开户单位：中国红十字会总会

For those who want to donate in RMB: you can send money to the RMB account at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China branch below:

人民币开户行: 中国工商银行 北京分行东四南支行

人民币账号: 0200001009014413252

For those who want to donate in foreign currency, you can send money to the foreign currency account at the CITIC Bank branch below:

外币开户行：中信银行酒仙桥支行

外币账号: 7112111482600000209

Hotline: (8610) 65139999

Online donations: Red Cross Society of China website: www.redcross.org.cn

Click the tab for online donations

I checked redcross's site just now. It was rather slow and didn't load properly. Hope it will be fixed soon and we can send help.

Dear sushan, thank you for this "proof of life". Many, many people here were worried for you. Take care.

Hi all, yeah we're fine though it was pretty scary when it happened. Many people's afternoon naps were interrupted and some ran out of their houses without getting dressed; it was a pretty comical sight until we realized how serious it was. If you lived in a highrise some were not allowed back inside overnight so people slept in parks or on university campuses and some are still without water or gas. Many convenience stores stayed open so it was possible to buy water and snacks, but the place we tried to go for breakfast ran out of food this morning.

Our building was not closed but we still slept (in a manner of speaking) outside on a street corner out of caution, which was fine til it started raining at about five. I am home now but we are still feeling the odd tremor; apparently after 24 hours most of the risk of a major aftershock will have passed.

Come to think of it, “高考 (gao1 kao3)”, The National University Entrance Examination, is only a month away here in China. It might be a minor thing compared to the staggering death toll, but all the same it still IS a major concern for high school students. I hope that Chinese authorities will effectively deal with this problem.

It's difficult to imagine the loss and devastation...my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in China, and those who have family and friends in the affected areas.

I'm so glad to hear that you guys (Wildyaks, Casie and everyone else out there) are safe. It's times like this that really makes one stop and think. My thoughts are with all those who are suffering right now.

What a terrible disaster. I was thinking of those children all night, couldn't sleep. Now the Chinese have something in common with approximately one million people in the Irrawaddy Delta. Fortunately, China has a well-deserved reputation for caring for her own people at times like this. You don't steal international relief and sell it for personal profit, or leave the survivors of a natural disaster to watch their children die of exposure, starvation, and disease. At times like this, I often don't know where we are going to find enough compassion and grace and strength for everybody who needs it. But we must find it, and my heart is aching for everybody in China who has been affected by the earthquake. Take care.

i was very happy to read this morning that America is ready and willing to help China...

U.S. President George W. Bush released a statement saying his country "stands ready to help in any way possible."

"I am particularly saddened by the number of students and children affected by this tragedy," Bush said.

Virtually every news channel is offering non-stop coverage of the quake. It was 7.8 magnitude in the epicenter, which is a small county outside Chengdu.Premier Wen Jiabao flew to Sichuan today.

http://news.sina.com.cn/z/08earthquake/index.shtml

Thoughts and prayers go to them.

I'm fine here in Yunnan. We felt the quake, although I didn't feel it personally. A friend called me immediately and warned me to leave my building in case there were aftershocks. We didn't feel any aftershocks.

I feel for the families of those who have died.

Yes, just read in Chinese news 8533. Very near the area I usually live. Very worrying

BBC news is now saying 8500 people dead. :(

hey jenny

does this mean we can have a lesson on "earthquakes" now??

maybe hurricanes too...since this kind of scary stuff is common and always in the news...its not the most pleasant thing to discuss but it is necessary language.

Just hear from a friend over 7000 dead. Some of my friends not advised to go home (into their buildings). Also heard that there is a real good community spirit in the streets of Chengdu.

Thank you all for your concern for me. In some ways it's really hard to be in a safe place and not know about your friends... Still, I am grateful.

Is Sushan okay? She must be in Chengdu right now?

So my mom calls me at 7am this morning and is freaking out! She knows i have friends over there...glad to hear the cpod factory peeps are ok. Our dear Cassie is safe too. My heartfelt sympathy and prayers go out to the people of China right now...i live in California which is a Zone 4 seismic area so i know how it feels to get all shook up. We are still bracing for "the big one" to happen here someday.

When the earth shakes we all feel small. Good to know CPOD survives. As with others, my hopes for recovery in Sichuan, 四川省.

很担心那里的人们，希望他们都能平平安安！

I just found this via Aric on Tudou.

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/6YdfN8iPwDs/

Scary.

Gah! The BBC is reporting 3-5 K dead at this point. Not good news! Thoughts and prayers to everyone in Sichuan.

A former classmate of mine who works as an engineer specializing in earthquake rescue (US Army Corps of Engineers) just left for Tokyo in anticipation of possible need.

Glad the Cpod and the poddies are okay. Prayers to the people in Sichuan.. aiya..

Oh, wildyaks, you're not there after all, and you're safe!

Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss!

hi henning, I am in Switzerland presently, but very worried for my friends... Gotta send out mails!

Hi henning,

There must be large blackouts there, so probably no way to use PC and Internet.

Anybody got news from wildyaks?

I've been trying to get more information, but of course it's way too soon after such an event to hear anything that is very meaningful. For example, I just heard some supposed casualty figures: 4 children died and 100 people injured, and google translator told me that they have sent two disaster relief tents to the region.

Of course these figures will grow, but for now I have been given the option to believe the fairy tale and get one more good night's sleep. Perhaps that's not such a bad offer to the worried listening population of China, too, at least for tonight.

This kind of news makes all the petty annoyances in a normal day seem as trivial as it really it. My prayers and my thoughts are with the people affected by this earthquake. It is fortunate that China does care for her people in such a situation.

Phew, thanks for letting us know the factory's safe.

Your new office must be superb in so many ways we haven't even imagined yet! Maybe it's all that flexible glass. Oh, wait, you might try poking a finger through the window to see if the glass is still there. ;-)

I watched a movie once that was set around the Three Gorges Dam. I don't like to think about the possibility of damage there. They are saying the dam is unaffected, but I think I'll keep my fingers crossed on that one until more reliable confirmation comes out.

Thank you guys. We are all fine. Hope the people in Sichuan, the most affected region are safe too.

Hi guys,

We didn't even feel it in our new office! Must be the outstanding construction (haha).

I hope that wildyaks is OK - she is staying in Sichuan!

This news site is more comprehensive.

http://news.sina.com.cn/z/08earthquake/index.shtml

I read that news about earthquake just now. I am safe here in Fujian province China. Thank you Auntysue. Hope our dear Chinesepod crew is ok there.

There was an 7.6级的earthquake in 四川province at 14:28 this afternoon.

The epicenter is in Sichuan, 四川省.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-05/12/content_8151482.htm

WOW. Hope Ken and Jennie are ok.