Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Disease Risks at Sichuan (WHO) part 1
Risk factors for increased communicable disease burden
1. Interruption of access to safe water and sanitation facilities. The populations displaced by the
earthquake are at immediate and high risk of outbreaks of water/sanitation/hygiene-related and foodborne diseases such as cholera, shigellosis due to Sd1, typhoid fever, and hepatitis A and E.
2. Population displacement with overcrowding. Populations in the affected areas and relief centres are at immediate risk of diseases spread by respiratory transmission such as measles and pneumonia. Increased risk of meningitis is also associated with overcrowding.
3. Increased exposure to disease vectors. Displacement of populations due to earthquake-related destruction of housing can result in increased exposure to disease-carrying vectors, including those for Japanese encephalitis.
4. Poor access to health services is of immediate concern. The degradation of the health infrastructure and of the means of communication prevent access to usual services, as well as to emergency medical and surgical services put in place in response to this crisis.
5. When deaths result from a natural disaster, exposure to dead bodies is not associated with
disease transmission. There is no evidence that corpses pose a risk of epidemics after natural
disasters. Standard infection control precautions should be observed when handling human corpses.
PRIORITY COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Water/sanitation/hygiene-related and foodborne diseases
The displaced populations in China are at high risk from outbreaks of water, sanitation, and hygienerelated diseases, as well as foodborne diseases, due to reduced access to safe water and sanitation systems.
Disruption of usual water sources and contamination of water by destroyed sewage infrastructure may result in unsafe drinking-water being consumed, increasing the risk of exposure. Cholera has been reported in Sichuan Province recently, and the strengthening of prevention and treatment of cholera has been a focus of the MoH. Salmonella typhi (causing typhoid fever), hepatitis A and hepatitis E, and Shigella dysenteriae type 1 (Sd1) are also present and have epidemic potential. Diarrhoea is a major cause of under five mortality; WHO estimates that diarrhoea accounts for 12% of under-five deaths in China.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonosis present worldwide. Infection in humans may occur indirectly when the bacteria comes into contact with the skin (especially if damaged) or the mucous membranes. It can also result from contact with moist soil or vegetation contaminated with the urine of infected animals, or with contaminated water as a result of swimming or wading in floodwaters, accidental immersion or occupational abrasion.
Vector-borne diseases
Population displacement can result in an increased exposure to vectors, and therefore to vector-borne diseases. Additionally, movement of susceptible populations into higher-risk areas can increase the risk of transmission. With the vast destruction associated with this earthquake, pools of water suitable for vector breeding may develop with subsequent rains.
Japanese encephalitis (JE) occurs in the Asian region, transmitted by the Culex mosquitoes which breed particularly in flooded areas and rice fields. Inadequate shelter, rains in the earthquake-affected area, and the disruption of vector control programmes due to the earthquake could lead to an increased exposure to vectors.
The virus circulates in Ardeidae birds (herons, egrets), and pigs act as amplifying hosts for the
virus. (Sichuan Province is a major pig-producing source for China and neighbouring countries).
Humans are incidental hosts, and infection occurs primarily in children. A national programme to vaccinate schoolage children against JE free of charge has recently commenced, but coverage is estimated to be low.
Culicine mosquitoes are normally zoophilic (feeding mainly on animals) but may also bite humans. China CDC maintains an annual surveillance and monitoring of JE in this region. Vector control methods and personal protection information can be found in section 3.7.
Human plague cases have been reported in the past in the mountain regions of Sichuan, where known natural foci for Yersinia pestis circulate among the wild rodents and their fleas. The disturbance of the natural enzootic cycle can result in increased contact between the wild and domestic rodent populations increasing the chance of exposure of people to potentially infective rodents. Populations displaced by the earthquake may be at higher risk of exposure to rats and fleas carrying Y. pestis, not only in Sichuan but possibly in surrounding provinces where plague is endemic (including Gangsu, Xinghai, Yunnan, and Guizhou). Detection and management of cases, as well as methods for control of pests and environmental contamination, should follow MoH guidance.
There is no significant risk of malaria transmission within the earthquake-affected areas of Sichuan Province. Although malaria remains a serious public health problem in China, it occurs primarily in Yunnan and Hainan Provinces where risk of transmission of P. falciparum is high. The Province of Sichuan reported 289 cases in 2003 (accounting for <1% of total malaria cases reported by the country.
Aedes aegypti,, the primary vector for dengue is currently not reported in Sichuan Province. Aedes albopictus, a secondary vector for dengue, is present in Sichuan Province. China reported less than 600 cases of dengue in 2007, primarily in provinces further south.
What Should you Do If Earthquake?
Earthquakes
You will never have warning that an earthquake is coming. To make sure you and your house are prepared, you should:
o Secure cupboards and bookcases to the wall using bolts. Also try to keep heavy objects on lower shelves so they won’t fall on you during an earthquake
o Make sure your water heater is secured to a wall. That way, it won’t fall during an earthquake and hurt someone or start a fire
o If you live in an area that has a lot of earthquakes, make sure that your home is bolted to your foundation. Although this might be expensive, it could save you from a lot of damage to your house during an earthquake
Here are some tips of what to do during an earthquake:
o Do NOT go outside. You could get hurt from falling glass or parts of buildings. If you are outside, stay away from buildings and power lines
o Take cover under a desk, table, or other large and stable piece of furniture. Hold on to it. Or, stand in a doorway and brace yourself
o Stay away from windows, heavy furniture, appliances, mirrors, pictures, and anything else that could fall and hurt you. Also stay away from fireplaces. You could lose your balance and hurt yourself on the fire
o If you are driving when an earthquake happens, stop the car if it’s safe. Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops, and don’t drive near bridges or tunnels. Try not to stop by power lines, light posts, signs, or trees. These could fall and hurt you
o Stay alert for falling objects. Most people get injured by falling objects during an earthquake, not by the shaking itself
o Do NOT use matches, lighters, or candles. If there is a broken gas line, you could spark a fire or explosion
o Do NOT use elevators. There might be a power outage due to the earthquake, and you could get stuck in the elevator
After the earthquake stops, here’s what you should do:
o Check yourself and others for injuries. Call 999 if you or someone else needs immediate medical assistance. If the phone lines are not working, try using a cell phone
o Check to see if electric, water, and gas lines are damaged. If they are, shut off the valves
Stay away from damaged buildings and areas. You could get hurt by broken glass and falling objects
o Listen to the radio for more information
How to Prepare for a Flood
If you live in a high flood risk area, personal preparation is the key to avoiding disaster.
Take solid steps ahead of time to ensure the safety of your family and minimize property loss, even when the flood waters come lapping at your doorstep.
By following this list of flood safety tips, your family and home will be ready when waters begin to rise.
Before a Flood Strikes
Step1
Call your local emergency organization office to assess your home's flood risk.
Step2
Put together a supply kit including battery-powered flashlights and radio, first aid and medications, rain gear and warm clothing, sleeping bags or bedding, several days worth of canned foods and bottled water, and any other personal items you must have for health and safety.
Step3
Form a family emergency/evacuation plan. Make sure everyone knows where to go in the event of a flood warning. Make a list of those places you could go--houses of family or friends, shelters or other safe public buildings on higher ground. Provide each family member with a written list of the locations and phone numbers, preferably in order, from first to last resort.
Step4
Check with your insurance agent on whether or not flood insurance is available for your home. Consult a professional when making flood insurance decisions.
Step5
Elevate your water heater, furnace and electrical panel to minimize damage if they are in flood-prone areas of your home.
During a Flood Watch or Warning
Step1
Fill your car's gas tank at the earliest suspicion of flood-producing weather or conditions. It will be your quick getaway if the time comes.
Step2
Move what furniture and valuables you can to the highest floor of the house, or in single story homes, raise them off of the ground as much as possible. Do this at the onset of a flood watch.
Step3
Stay tuned to local TV and radio for constant updates on the weather forecast, flood level, and watches and warnings. Take all advice and warnings seriously.
Step4
Evacuate to higher ground as soon as a flood warning is issued. Follow your family evacuation plan while avoiding waterways at all costs. Do not drive into standing water and abandon your car immediately if it does stall in water. Search for high, dry ground, and get there as quickly as possible.
Also you can considered other below tips.
Before a flood happens, make sure you’re ready: ·
o Learn about your community’s emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes and locations of emergency shelters·
o For drains, toilets and other sewer connections, install backflow valves or plugs to prevent floodwaters from entering·
o Gather your emergency supply kit and stay tuned to local radio or TV stations for updates·
o Do NOT keep valuable items and appliances in your basement. They could get ruined during a flood·
o Make sure your fuse box (or main breaker) and utility meters are raised above the flood level in your home. Water and electricity don’t mix·
o Turn off all utilities at the main power switch ·
o Fill bathtubs, sink and plastic soda bottles with clean water ·
o Bring outdoor possessions, such as lawn furniture and trash cans inside or tie them down securely·
o Fill your vehicle’s gas tank and make sure the emergency kit for your car is ready·
o If no vehicle is available, make arrangements with friends or family for transportation·
o Put livestock and family pets in a safe area. Due to food and sanitation requirements, emergency shelters cannot accept animals·
o Adjust the thermostat on refrigerators and freezers to the coolest possible temperature· Have flood insurance
When flooding happens, here’s what you should do:
If a flood warning is issued for your area or you are directed by authorities to evacuate the area, never ignore such orders .Take only essential items with you .
Disconnect appliances to prevent electrical shock when power is restored
Follow the designated evacuation routes and expect heavy traffic Go to higher ground immediately .
Do NOT try to drive through water, even if it’s not moving. You car can easily get swept away
After a flood, here are some of the things you need to be aware of:
Avoid illness.
o Always wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected before preparing or eating food, after toilet use, after participating in flood cleanup activities and after handling articles contaminated with flood water or sewage Make sure your food is safe:
o Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water
o For infants, use only pre-prepared canned baby formula that requires no added water, rather than powdered formulas prepared with treated water
o Discard any refrigerated or frozen food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more and any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture
Make sure your water is safe:
o Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice or make baby formula. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash your hands
o If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you use it. Use only bottled, boiled or treated water until your supply is tested and found safe
o Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most organisms.
How to Handle Animals:
Many wild animals may be forced from their natural habitats by flooding, and many domestic animals may also be without homes after a flood. Take care to avoid these animals Do not corner an animal .
If an animal must be removed, contact your local animal control authorities. If you are bitten by any animal, seek immediate medical attention .
If you are bitten by a snake, first try to accurately identify the type of snake so that, if poisonous, the correct anti-venom may be administered
How to Deal with Electric and Gas Utilities:
Electrical power and natural gas or propane tanks should be shut off to avoid fire, electrocution or explosions until it is safe to use them .
Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns, rather than candles, gas lanterns or torches.
If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows and leave the house immediately .
Notify the fire department and do not turn on the lights or do anything that could cause a spark.
Avoid any downed power lines, particularly those in water.
All electrical equipment and appliances must be completely dry before using them. You should have a certified electrician check these items if there is any question
How to Clean Up:
Walls, hard-surfaced floors and many other household surfaces should be cleaned with soap and water and disinfected with a solution of 1 cup of bleach to 20 liters of water .
Wash all linens and clothing in hot water, or dry clean them .
For items that cannot be washed or dry cleaned, such as mattresses and upholstered furniture, air dry them in the sun and then spray them thoroughly with a disinfectant.
Steam clean all carpeting .
If there has been a backflow of sewage into the house, wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves during cleanup .
Remove and discard contaminated household materials that cannot be disinfected, such as wall coverings, cloth, rugs and drywall
Saturday, June 14, 2008
After the Shock of an Earthquake, Thousands Now Huddle in Fear of a Flood
QINGLIAN, China — It is a simple strand of red plastic hanging between two trees, but for residents of this battered town, it is the line between life and potential death.
People who evacuated because of flood threat live in tents in Qinglian.
On one side are 11,000 residents who have been huddling under plastic sheets since the May 12 earthquake devastated northern Sichuan Province. On the other is a lush plain of farmland and homes that government officials say will be washed away should a swollen reservoir of trapped river water break through the wall of rock, dirt and trees that holds it in place.
Soldiers stand sentinel on roads leading to the flood plain, which includes much of this picturesque town, blocking residents eager to till their fields or salvage clothing from their quake-damaged homes.
“It’s for their own good,” said Bian Dedi, 43, who was patrolling the deserted downtown on Thursday and shooing away the few residents who had slipped through the cordon. “In an instant, everything you see would be under water.”
For the past four days, a phalanx of earth-moving machines and soldiers has been struggling to complete a 300-yard sluice that would relieve pressure on a lake growing behind a landslide dam on the Jian River.
On Thursday, the lake, given the name Tangjiashan, rose another 5 feet, about 70 feet from the top of the barrier, and officials warned it might take another day or two before the drainage canal was complete.
Even then, the surge of water from the drainage canal itself will cause significant flooding, especially along the heavily populated Chengdu basin. On Friday, officials began moving another 30,000 people to higher ground in anticipation of the channel’s completion.
For the 1.3 million people living downstream, the looming threat is adding to the misery of coping with a disaster that has killed a confirmed 68,858 people, with 87,000 injured. Officials say 18,618 more are missing and presumed dead.
By Saturday, 197,000 people will have been relocated from low-lying towns and villages and the government has set in place an ambitious evacuation plan that would send in total more than a million people dashing to higher ground should the dam break.
If the dam fails, experts say, it is likely to begin in a burst.
“Once that process starts, it’s virtually impossible to do anything to decrease the water,” Alexander Densmore, a seismologist at Durham University in Britain, told Reuters. “When they fail, they tend to fail catastrophically.”
Here in Qinglian, a tourist town that straddles the Jian River shortly after it descends the mountains, residents have been forced to disassemble and rebuild their bamboo-and-plastic shelters five times in the past two weeks. Each move coincided with the worrisome expansion of the impounded lake, which is 30 miles upstream.
“I may be old, but I can still run if I have to,” said Chen Biqi, 70, a farmer who has been told to hike up a nearby knoll should the dam burst.
Compared with the terror of an earthquake, many people here view the potential peril of flooding as an annoyance, just one more indignation meted out by nature. Most people expressed confidence that the government’s evacuation plan would keep them from harm’s way.
“Earthquakes are unpredictable but at least we would have some warning if a flood is coming,” said Cheng Huayuan, 65, a retired factory worker who was among thousands of people camped out in Mianyang, a city of 600,000 that stretches out along both sides of the Fu River, a tributary of the Jian.
Like many of her neighbors, Ms. Cheng had a home to return to, but she said she was too unnerved by the constant aftershocks to sleep in her eighth-floor apartment. “You never know if the next tremor will bring the building down,” she said. “A flood we can handle.”
Not everyone is so confident. At Mianyang’s bus station for long-distance trips, thousands of people clamored for seats on buses headed to other cities on Thursday. Hundreds of others sought shelter atop a forested hill a mile outside the city.
Even though she is only a half-hour walk to the safety of the mountains, Deng Huilan, 45, said she often spent nights nodding off in a chair. “I don’t dare fall into a deep sleep,” said Ms. Deng, who is sharing a tent with a dozen family members, including her 80-year-old parents. “None of us can swim.”
Across the region, emergency-relief officials have created 50 evacuation routes and everyone, they say, is within two miles of higher ground. Some mountain towns would have little warning should the dam break, but in Mianyang, the second-largest city in Sichuan, residents would have three hours to scurry to safety.
Engineers have dubbed the scheme to build the canal “the one-third plan,” because the channel would drain about a third of the lake’s water. While not catastrophic, the flood of water from the canal would be 42 feet high, about 10 feet higher than the banks of the river in Mianyang, according to an official with the city’s information office who would only give his surname, Pu.
To get the word out, the authorities have outfitted a squadron of cars and trucks with loudspeakers. “People have plenty of time to move,” Tan Li, the party secretary of Mianyang’s earthquake relief center, told the China News Agency.
The nation has been fixated by the military’s battle against Tangjiashan Lake, much of it broadcast on state-run television, and the obstacles. On Thursday, rain grounded the army’s fleet of supply helicopters, forcing 1,000 soldiers to clamber along two miles of treacherous rock slides to bring fuel to the bulldozers. By the end of the day, engineers said the 50-foot-wide canal was more than a third complete.
Although attention has largely focused on Tangjiashan, 34 other so-called quake lakes have formed within the steep ravines that stretch north to the Tibetan plateau.
A rock slide that blocked the Huang River has forced the 140 residents of tiny Huangzhang to live inside a nearby school that sits far above the river.
“We wish the dam would break already so we could fix our homes,” said Wu Xianchen, 48, a farmer who ventured back into his shattered house to fetch a thermos as rain soaked his furniture. “We’re tired of all these disasters.”
In Qinglian, a stray dog pawed the ruins, and swallows swooped through an empty downtown that once teemed with tourists drawn by the town’s association with the poet Li Bai, who was born here 1,300 years ago. Two farmers suddenly emerged, baskets of produce bouncing on their backs.
One of the men, Hong Daozhi, 63, bragged that he had figured out a way to sneak around the roadblocks. Spring onions and peanuts are begging to be picked, he said, and the window for planting corn is quickly closing. Asked if he was worried about getting caught in a flood, he held his muddy hands up to the sky, let out a loud laugh and then disappeared behind a pile of rubble.
Huang Yuanxi contributed research from Chengdu. Jing Zhang contributed research from Beijing.
People who evacuated because of flood threat live in tents in Qinglian.
On one side are 11,000 residents who have been huddling under plastic sheets since the May 12 earthquake devastated northern Sichuan Province. On the other is a lush plain of farmland and homes that government officials say will be washed away should a swollen reservoir of trapped river water break through the wall of rock, dirt and trees that holds it in place.
Soldiers stand sentinel on roads leading to the flood plain, which includes much of this picturesque town, blocking residents eager to till their fields or salvage clothing from their quake-damaged homes.
“It’s for their own good,” said Bian Dedi, 43, who was patrolling the deserted downtown on Thursday and shooing away the few residents who had slipped through the cordon. “In an instant, everything you see would be under water.”
For the past four days, a phalanx of earth-moving machines and soldiers has been struggling to complete a 300-yard sluice that would relieve pressure on a lake growing behind a landslide dam on the Jian River.
On Thursday, the lake, given the name Tangjiashan, rose another 5 feet, about 70 feet from the top of the barrier, and officials warned it might take another day or two before the drainage canal was complete.
Even then, the surge of water from the drainage canal itself will cause significant flooding, especially along the heavily populated Chengdu basin. On Friday, officials began moving another 30,000 people to higher ground in anticipation of the channel’s completion.
For the 1.3 million people living downstream, the looming threat is adding to the misery of coping with a disaster that has killed a confirmed 68,858 people, with 87,000 injured. Officials say 18,618 more are missing and presumed dead.
By Saturday, 197,000 people will have been relocated from low-lying towns and villages and the government has set in place an ambitious evacuation plan that would send in total more than a million people dashing to higher ground should the dam break.
If the dam fails, experts say, it is likely to begin in a burst.
“Once that process starts, it’s virtually impossible to do anything to decrease the water,” Alexander Densmore, a seismologist at Durham University in Britain, told Reuters. “When they fail, they tend to fail catastrophically.”
Here in Qinglian, a tourist town that straddles the Jian River shortly after it descends the mountains, residents have been forced to disassemble and rebuild their bamboo-and-plastic shelters five times in the past two weeks. Each move coincided with the worrisome expansion of the impounded lake, which is 30 miles upstream.
“I may be old, but I can still run if I have to,” said Chen Biqi, 70, a farmer who has been told to hike up a nearby knoll should the dam burst.
Compared with the terror of an earthquake, many people here view the potential peril of flooding as an annoyance, just one more indignation meted out by nature. Most people expressed confidence that the government’s evacuation plan would keep them from harm’s way.
“Earthquakes are unpredictable but at least we would have some warning if a flood is coming,” said Cheng Huayuan, 65, a retired factory worker who was among thousands of people camped out in Mianyang, a city of 600,000 that stretches out along both sides of the Fu River, a tributary of the Jian.
Like many of her neighbors, Ms. Cheng had a home to return to, but she said she was too unnerved by the constant aftershocks to sleep in her eighth-floor apartment. “You never know if the next tremor will bring the building down,” she said. “A flood we can handle.”
Not everyone is so confident. At Mianyang’s bus station for long-distance trips, thousands of people clamored for seats on buses headed to other cities on Thursday. Hundreds of others sought shelter atop a forested hill a mile outside the city.
Even though she is only a half-hour walk to the safety of the mountains, Deng Huilan, 45, said she often spent nights nodding off in a chair. “I don’t dare fall into a deep sleep,” said Ms. Deng, who is sharing a tent with a dozen family members, including her 80-year-old parents. “None of us can swim.”
Across the region, emergency-relief officials have created 50 evacuation routes and everyone, they say, is within two miles of higher ground. Some mountain towns would have little warning should the dam break, but in Mianyang, the second-largest city in Sichuan, residents would have three hours to scurry to safety.
Engineers have dubbed the scheme to build the canal “the one-third plan,” because the channel would drain about a third of the lake’s water. While not catastrophic, the flood of water from the canal would be 42 feet high, about 10 feet higher than the banks of the river in Mianyang, according to an official with the city’s information office who would only give his surname, Pu.
To get the word out, the authorities have outfitted a squadron of cars and trucks with loudspeakers. “People have plenty of time to move,” Tan Li, the party secretary of Mianyang’s earthquake relief center, told the China News Agency.
The nation has been fixated by the military’s battle against Tangjiashan Lake, much of it broadcast on state-run television, and the obstacles. On Thursday, rain grounded the army’s fleet of supply helicopters, forcing 1,000 soldiers to clamber along two miles of treacherous rock slides to bring fuel to the bulldozers. By the end of the day, engineers said the 50-foot-wide canal was more than a third complete.
Although attention has largely focused on Tangjiashan, 34 other so-called quake lakes have formed within the steep ravines that stretch north to the Tibetan plateau.
A rock slide that blocked the Huang River has forced the 140 residents of tiny Huangzhang to live inside a nearby school that sits far above the river.
“We wish the dam would break already so we could fix our homes,” said Wu Xianchen, 48, a farmer who ventured back into his shattered house to fetch a thermos as rain soaked his furniture. “We’re tired of all these disasters.”
In Qinglian, a stray dog pawed the ruins, and swallows swooped through an empty downtown that once teemed with tourists drawn by the town’s association with the poet Li Bai, who was born here 1,300 years ago. Two farmers suddenly emerged, baskets of produce bouncing on their backs.
One of the men, Hong Daozhi, 63, bragged that he had figured out a way to sneak around the roadblocks. Spring onions and peanuts are begging to be picked, he said, and the window for planting corn is quickly closing. Asked if he was worried about getting caught in a flood, he held his muddy hands up to the sky, let out a loud laugh and then disappeared behind a pile of rubble.
Huang Yuanxi contributed research from Chengdu. Jing Zhang contributed research from Beijing.
Earthquake Rapid Response and Early Warning System (Links)
1. Earthquake alarm ,rapid response and early warning systems
2. URBAN EARTHQUAKE RAPID RESPONSE AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
3. The application of Global Scale Data in Global Earthquake Disaster Alert.
4. Advanced National Seismic System -ANSS
5. QuakeGuard™ Earthquake Early Warning System
6. Seismo-Watch EQ Flash! Alert Bulletins
2. URBAN EARTHQUAKE RAPID RESPONSE AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
3. The application of Global Scale Data in Global Earthquake Disaster Alert.
4. Advanced National Seismic System -ANSS
5. QuakeGuard™ Earthquake Early Warning System
6. Seismo-Watch EQ Flash! Alert Bulletins
Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System provides near real-time alerts about natural disasters around the world and tools to facilitate response coordination, including media monitoring, map catalogues and Virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre.
Events (earthquake,cyclones,flood,volcanoes) in the list are picked up from multiple sources and automatically analyzed by a computer program to determine the likelihood of humanitarian intervention. News, damage maps and humanitarian situation reports are collected automatically from over 1000 on-line sources
Malaysia to send donation goods to earthquake-hit China
KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia will send relief goods worth of 1.5 million U.S. dollars to earthquake-hit China, Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said on Tuesday.
Malaysia is scheduled to use its C-130 military aircraft to send these goods, comprising of tents, medical supplies and equipment, to China on June 8, Rais Yatim said at its ministry in Putrajaya, the administrative center of the Malaysian federal government.
On May 16, the Malaysian government announced that it will donate 1.5 million U.S. dollars to help the victims of the earthquake which hit Sichuan Province in southwest China.
Officials from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said that Malaysia will send its donation in goods which China needed for the ongoing disaster relief.
On Tuesday, Rais also handed over Malaysia's donation of 4.3 million ringgit (1.34 million U.S. dollars ) to the victims of snowstorm in China through Cheng Yonghua, China's ambassador in Malaysia,
The donation included 1 million U.S. dollars from the Malaysian government and the rest came from the contribution by the public which was collected by the Malaysian Information Ministry and Sin Chew Jit Poh and Yayasan Nanyang Press.
Early February this year, the Malaysian government announced that it decided to donate 1 million U.S. dollars to help the victims of snowstorm in southwest China.
Rais said that the donation was handed over on Tuesday as the donation process and the consolidation of accounts had taken a considerable amount of time.
Ambassador Cheng said that the Malaysian government and people extended their assistance and supports to China when China was confronted with the disaster caused by severe snowstorm early this year.
In May this year when China's Sichuan Province was struck by a strong earthquake, Malaysia again extended their assistance, Cheng said. Malaysians of various races and from all walks of life donated money and materials generously to express their solicitude, he said. The scenarios were heart-touching.
He noted that Malaysia's valuable assistance is the testimony of the friendship of the Malaysian people with the Chinese people.
This will be engraved on the chronicle of China-Malaysia relationship, he added.
A destructive 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit China's southwestern province of Sichuan on May 12. Some 69,107 people have been killed in the mountainous region where the quake center was located, while 18,230 others remain missing, according to the latest figures released by the Chinese government.
Malaysia is scheduled to use its C-130 military aircraft to send these goods, comprising of tents, medical supplies and equipment, to China on June 8, Rais Yatim said at its ministry in Putrajaya, the administrative center of the Malaysian federal government.
On May 16, the Malaysian government announced that it will donate 1.5 million U.S. dollars to help the victims of the earthquake which hit Sichuan Province in southwest China.
Officials from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said that Malaysia will send its donation in goods which China needed for the ongoing disaster relief.
On Tuesday, Rais also handed over Malaysia's donation of 4.3 million ringgit (1.34 million U.S. dollars ) to the victims of snowstorm in China through Cheng Yonghua, China's ambassador in Malaysia,
The donation included 1 million U.S. dollars from the Malaysian government and the rest came from the contribution by the public which was collected by the Malaysian Information Ministry and Sin Chew Jit Poh and Yayasan Nanyang Press.
Early February this year, the Malaysian government announced that it decided to donate 1 million U.S. dollars to help the victims of snowstorm in southwest China.
Rais said that the donation was handed over on Tuesday as the donation process and the consolidation of accounts had taken a considerable amount of time.
Ambassador Cheng said that the Malaysian government and people extended their assistance and supports to China when China was confronted with the disaster caused by severe snowstorm early this year.
In May this year when China's Sichuan Province was struck by a strong earthquake, Malaysia again extended their assistance, Cheng said. Malaysians of various races and from all walks of life donated money and materials generously to express their solicitude, he said. The scenarios were heart-touching.
He noted that Malaysia's valuable assistance is the testimony of the friendship of the Malaysian people with the Chinese people.
This will be engraved on the chronicle of China-Malaysia relationship, he added.
A destructive 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit China's southwestern province of Sichuan on May 12. Some 69,107 people have been killed in the mountainous region where the quake center was located, while 18,230 others remain missing, according to the latest figures released by the Chinese government.
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Injured and missing of Sichuan
Children buried alive photo
So far, 40,000 people are known to have lost their lives, tens of thousands are still missing and five million people are thought to have been left homeless.
What has been a rescue is now shifting more and more towards a reconstruction operation.
More than a week since the earthquake struck, people are still searching for their missing relatives.
From Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, Quentin Sommerville sent this report.
Listen to his report.
(reference:bbc.co.uk)
So far, 40,000 people are known to have lost their lives, tens of thousands are still missing and five million people are thought to have been left homeless.
What has been a rescue is now shifting more and more towards a reconstruction operation.
More than a week since the earthquake struck, people are still searching for their missing relatives.
From Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, Quentin Sommerville sent this report.
Listen to his report.
(reference:bbc.co.uk)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Chelsea to play Chinese club to raise money for earthquake victims
LONDON: Chelsea will travel to Macau to play a Chinese club from a region badly hit by last month's massive earthquake.
The Champions League finalist will play Chengdu Blades, which is based in China's Sichuan province, on July 26.
The Blues hope to raise money for relief operation and victims of the 7.9 magnitude quake on May 12 killing 69,146 people.
According to the Chinese government, 17,516 are still missing and about 5 million people were made homeless.
"We did look at playing a game in Chengdu and now, for very obvious and tragic reasons, that will not be possible," Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said Tuesday. "But we are delighted to assist in raising awareness for the earthquake relief effort."
On its preseason tour, Chelsea will play Chinese super league team Guangzhou Pharmaceutical on July 23 at the city's Olympic Stadium .
( reference: Herald Tribune )
The Champions League finalist will play Chengdu Blades, which is based in China's Sichuan province, on July 26.
The Blues hope to raise money for relief operation and victims of the 7.9 magnitude quake on May 12 killing 69,146 people.
According to the Chinese government, 17,516 are still missing and about 5 million people were made homeless.
"We did look at playing a game in Chengdu and now, for very obvious and tragic reasons, that will not be possible," Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said Tuesday. "But we are delighted to assist in raising awareness for the earthquake relief effort."
On its preseason tour, Chelsea will play Chinese super league team Guangzhou Pharmaceutical on July 23 at the city's Olympic Stadium .
( reference: Herald Tribune )
PCCC To Donate RM500,000 To Earthquake Victims In China
PENANG, May 16 (Bernama) -- The Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC)will donate RM500,000 for the earthquake victims in Sichuan province, China through the Chinese embassy in Kuala Lumpur.Its president Datuk Khor Teng Tong said the amount came from a donation drive organised by PCCC and the Penang Chinese Assembly Hall's fund-raising committee."Various companies and individuals who are sympathetic towards the earthquake victims have contributed to the fund," he told a press conference here today.The collection will be handed over to the embassy on May 21.Khor said those who wished to contribute to the victims should make out their cheques payable to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Malaysia and hand over the cheques to the embassy's representative on May 21.The PCCC has also donated RM20,000 to the Nargis Cyclone victims in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta.-- BERNAMA
Friday, June 6, 2008
Mercy donates 5,000 tarpaulins for Sichuan victims
KUALA LUMPUR: Mercy Malaysia donated 5,000 tarpaulins worth RM250,000 for the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan, China.
Mercy Malaysia executive council member Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus on Tuesday handed the contribution over to Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua at the People's Republic of China Embassy here.
Ahmad said they were sending over the tarpaulins as it had been specifically requested for.
"The tarpaulin can serve various purposes, as it can be used as a tent, or as floor covering. The victims are still staying out in the open and cannot return to their homes as there are still aftershocks.
"We have just discussed possible further aid," he said, adding that Mercy Malaysia had not sent a relief team as they did not feel it was necessary at the moment.
"China has handled the crisis very well, and what they need most now are supplies and resources, not manpower," he said.
At the simple handover ceremony, Cheng thanked all "Malaysian friends" for their contribution and help.
He added that China had already manufactured 400,000 tarpaulins for the victims, but they were still in need of another two million pieces.
The tarpaulins will be airlifted to Guangzhou on Thursday, departing at 9.30am before being forwarded to the quake area.
reference: The Star Online
Mercy Malaysia executive council member Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus on Tuesday handed the contribution over to Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua at the People's Republic of China Embassy here.
Ahmad said they were sending over the tarpaulins as it had been specifically requested for.
"The tarpaulin can serve various purposes, as it can be used as a tent, or as floor covering. The victims are still staying out in the open and cannot return to their homes as there are still aftershocks.
"We have just discussed possible further aid," he said, adding that Mercy Malaysia had not sent a relief team as they did not feel it was necessary at the moment.
"China has handled the crisis very well, and what they need most now are supplies and resources, not manpower," he said.
At the simple handover ceremony, Cheng thanked all "Malaysian friends" for their contribution and help.
He added that China had already manufactured 400,000 tarpaulins for the victims, but they were still in need of another two million pieces.
The tarpaulins will be airlifted to Guangzhou on Thursday, departing at 9.30am before being forwarded to the quake area.
reference: The Star Online
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Nuclear Explosion Near the Sichuan Earthquake?
A Chinese-language Web site based outside China,Boxun News, reported that an unnamed expert has claimed that there was a nuclear explosion near the epicenter of the Sichuan earthquake, based on witness reports and the discovery of concrete rubble believed to have come from an underground military installation. The news of this nuclear explosion has raised questions about the cause of the earthquake.
On May 12, the local resident saw something erupt from the top of a mountain next to the valley. Mr He said "It was these concrete pieces. The eruption lasted about three minutes".
No major construction was occuring in the area at the time of the earthquake.According to a China News Services (CNS) report on May 31, 2008, paramedics from People's Liberation Army (PLA) hospitals and psychologists from Beijing onsite May 23 found concrete debris at the bottom of a valley near the epicenter. The half-mile-wide valley was covered with debris 10 - 20 inches thick, covering the valley floor for almost 1.5 miles.
According to Boxun's expert, the thickness of the concrete pieces seemed to match that used in China's underground military bases.He explained that while there are documented cases that earthquakes cause volcanic eruptions, there are no accounts of eruptions ejecting concrete.
Based on the CNS report and timing of the eruption at the scene, there seemed to be no evidence of natural volcanic activity. The expert stated he was certain a nuclear explosion shattered the underground concrete structures, hurling debris into the air.
At least one of China's nuclear military bases is located in Mianyang City, Sichuan, near the epicenter.
Chinese Internet surfers commented that right after the quake military Special Forces blocked traffic heading toward the epicenter on the mountain, and men in white chemical protective clothing in military vehicles were also spotted driving toward the mountain.
Rescue personnel near the epicenter were all military, according to witnesses.
The expert believes the nuclear explosion was not confined to the underground test area and has caused radiation contamination, stating that in a call to Beijing he recommended authorities accept help from other countries, seal the area, find and provide help to those who had been exposed to contamination during the rescue work, and take emergency
measures to prevent water contamination.
The expert believes that the nuclear explosion caused the recent 8.0 magnitude Sichuan earthquake in China. However, other experts referenced by Boxun withheld judgement as to whether the explosion caused the earthquake or the earthquake the explosion.
Reference: en.epochtimes.com/news
On May 12, the local resident saw something erupt from the top of a mountain next to the valley. Mr He said "It was these concrete pieces. The eruption lasted about three minutes".
No major construction was occuring in the area at the time of the earthquake.According to a China News Services (CNS) report on May 31, 2008, paramedics from People's Liberation Army (PLA) hospitals and psychologists from Beijing onsite May 23 found concrete debris at the bottom of a valley near the epicenter. The half-mile-wide valley was covered with debris 10 - 20 inches thick, covering the valley floor for almost 1.5 miles.
According to Boxun's expert, the thickness of the concrete pieces seemed to match that used in China's underground military bases.He explained that while there are documented cases that earthquakes cause volcanic eruptions, there are no accounts of eruptions ejecting concrete.
Based on the CNS report and timing of the eruption at the scene, there seemed to be no evidence of natural volcanic activity. The expert stated he was certain a nuclear explosion shattered the underground concrete structures, hurling debris into the air.
At least one of China's nuclear military bases is located in Mianyang City, Sichuan, near the epicenter.
Chinese Internet surfers commented that right after the quake military Special Forces blocked traffic heading toward the epicenter on the mountain, and men in white chemical protective clothing in military vehicles were also spotted driving toward the mountain.
Rescue personnel near the epicenter were all military, according to witnesses.
The expert believes the nuclear explosion was not confined to the underground test area and has caused radiation contamination, stating that in a call to Beijing he recommended authorities accept help from other countries, seal the area, find and provide help to those who had been exposed to contamination during the rescue work, and take emergency
measures to prevent water contamination.
The expert believes that the nuclear explosion caused the recent 8.0 magnitude Sichuan earthquake in China. However, other experts referenced by Boxun withheld judgement as to whether the explosion caused the earthquake or the earthquake the explosion.
Reference: en.epochtimes.com/news
Earthquake Survivor
The earthquake in China was so powerful it was felt hundreds of miles from the epicenter where a group of UNL students were studying abroad.
Waves spill water over the banks of a what was a calm pond of water just seconds before and people spilling out of buildings screaming earthquake.
That was the scene that welcomed Morrel Wax to China.
It took less than two minutes to kill nearly 70-thousand people and injure several times that number.
"I started jumping up and down on the bridge like Rocky, a Rocky moment and my classmates were like stop shaking the bridge" said Mo abroad program's student.
Turns out that shaking bridge was from an earthquake that rocked the country the first day 30 Lincoln students arrived in China as part of a study abroad program.
Mo's friend Kent shot video just moments after the quake from his digital camera - video that hit national airwaves.
"To see the water shaking underneath the bridge was just crazy to feel the magnitude of the earthquake and seeing the reaction to it. You know there was a lot of stunned faces and people are like oh my God," said Wax.
Mo says he had no idea just how devastating the earthquake was.
"At that moment when you felt the earthquake it didn't feel that big and until we got home, mail, the computers and news it wasn't a joking matter, it was scary."
News of the disaster quickly hit Lincoln's campus.
"We worked with both students from engineering and college of business with international affairs to be sure we contacted the parents and let them know we heard from the students all were safe and everything was continuing as normal," says UNL's Dr. D'Vee Buss.
She says all the students were about 400 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake.
"We knew pretty quickly that our students were pretty safe."Mo says there were aftershocks for several days.
People who were too scared to sleep inside the buildings camped outside.
"There were camps of tents everywhere on the campus so I think a lot of people were on edge."
Mo says he lived a piece of history and learned a life lesson outside of the classroom.
"The next day people were out there in that area willing to help and the love those people showed for their fellow people was amazing and it was a beautiful thing," says the college senior.
Mo says the next day, the campus there organized blood drives and collected money to help with the relief efforts.
He says he's never experienced anything like it.
For some of the students they didn't necessarily know it was an earthquake at first.
Mo says they were told to put a water bottle on the edge of their desks to let them know if there was an aftershock to wake them up and get out of the buildings.
Mo says after the first couple, he slept right through one of them.
He says it's one trip he'll never forget, a story he plans to tell his kids and grandkids someday.
Reference: www.kptm.com
Waves spill water over the banks of a what was a calm pond of water just seconds before and people spilling out of buildings screaming earthquake.
That was the scene that welcomed Morrel Wax to China.
It took less than two minutes to kill nearly 70-thousand people and injure several times that number.
"I started jumping up and down on the bridge like Rocky, a Rocky moment and my classmates were like stop shaking the bridge" said Mo abroad program's student.
Turns out that shaking bridge was from an earthquake that rocked the country the first day 30 Lincoln students arrived in China as part of a study abroad program.
Mo's friend Kent shot video just moments after the quake from his digital camera - video that hit national airwaves.
"To see the water shaking underneath the bridge was just crazy to feel the magnitude of the earthquake and seeing the reaction to it. You know there was a lot of stunned faces and people are like oh my God," said Wax.
Mo says he had no idea just how devastating the earthquake was.
"At that moment when you felt the earthquake it didn't feel that big and until we got home, mail, the computers and news it wasn't a joking matter, it was scary."
News of the disaster quickly hit Lincoln's campus.
"We worked with both students from engineering and college of business with international affairs to be sure we contacted the parents and let them know we heard from the students all were safe and everything was continuing as normal," says UNL's Dr. D'Vee Buss.
She says all the students were about 400 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake.
"We knew pretty quickly that our students were pretty safe."Mo says there were aftershocks for several days.
People who were too scared to sleep inside the buildings camped outside.
"There were camps of tents everywhere on the campus so I think a lot of people were on edge."
Mo says he lived a piece of history and learned a life lesson outside of the classroom.
"The next day people were out there in that area willing to help and the love those people showed for their fellow people was amazing and it was a beautiful thing," says the college senior.
Mo says the next day, the campus there organized blood drives and collected money to help with the relief efforts.
He says he's never experienced anything like it.
For some of the students they didn't necessarily know it was an earthquake at first.
Mo says they were told to put a water bottle on the edge of their desks to let them know if there was an aftershock to wake them up and get out of the buildings.
Mo says after the first couple, he slept right through one of them.
He says it's one trip he'll never forget, a story he plans to tell his kids and grandkids someday.
Reference: www.kptm.com
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Great Sichuan Earthquake
Great Sichuan Earthquake,also known as the Wenchuan earthquake which measured at 8.0 Ms[6] and 8.3 Mw[7] according to PRC's China Seismological Bureau, and 7.9 Mw according to USGS, occurred at 14:28:01.42 CST (06:28:01.42 UTC) on 12 May 2008.
After the earthquake's epicenter in Wenchuan County, Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province.
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus. The epicenter is usually the location of greatest damage.
The epicenter was 80 kilometres (50 mi) west-northwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, with a depth of 19 kilometres (12 mi).[2] The earthquake was felt as far away as Beijing (1,500 km away) and Shanghai (1,700 km away), where office buildings swayed with the tremor.[8] The earthquake was also felt in nearby countries.
Even as the number of deaths rises well above 10,000, reports coming in indicate that the Communist regime knew about it in advance but did not alert its citizens to the quake.
Ten days before the quake struck, some Sichuan residents had called up the local Earthquake Preparedness and Disaster Reduction office of the Provincial Seismological Bureau (EPDRSB) to verify "rumors" about an earthquake in the near future.
The bureau denied the possibility of a quake and, on May 9, published a notice on the regime's provincial website decrying such "rumors."
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