Backgroud information about quake-hit Yushu
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II. Deployment and Rescue Missions of Transport Authorities
1. Class A Emergency Response Plans Launched by the Ministry of Transport (MOT)
After the quake, according to the requirements and deployment of the Central Committee of CPC and the State Council, Class A Emergency Response Plans were launched by the MOT. Minister Li Shenglin chaired an emergency meeting in the ministry, discussing and deploying response actions. Three sub-working groups were established by the MOT under the Infrastructure Assurance and Production Restoration Working Group of the Emergency Rescue Headquarters of the State Council, sparing no efforts in the rescue operations, and supporting the Transport Department of Qinghai in safeguarding smooth traffics. On the day of the quake, Gao Hongfeng, Vice Minister of MOT and relevant officials accompanied State leaders to the Yushu Quake-hit areas immediately. Meanwhile, expert teams of MOT arrived at sites on 14th to assist and guide the local transport department in the rescue operations.
2. Emergency Rescue Operations Conducted by Transport Sector
The quake cut off the road from Yushu Airport to Jiegu Town, the sections of Yankoushan-Jiegu, Nangqian-Jiegu of G214, and the section of Budongquan-Qumalai-Zhiduo-Jiegu of G109, which form the rescue corridors in 3 directions suffered damages to various extent. The protective engineering works of the roads were severely damaged, with a number of landslides occurred along the roads, and structural displacement in many bridges. In addition, massive landslides, subsidence, pavement cracks were scattered at many sections of the road around the quake-hit areas, road infrastructure were damaged extensively.
In the aftermath of the quake, the Transport Department of Qinghai immediately launched emergency plans to carry out quake relief work in transport sector. The Department has established a disaster relief team of 200 people, and forthwith dispatched them to the section K815-816 of Changu Power Plant to undertake repair works and successfully connected the road from Yushu to Jiegu, which has provided a passageway for the quake-relief command team and relief supplies to the quake-hit areas. In repairing section K804-803, the relief team had to overcome severe cold to clear the road surface, and successfully brought the full length of G214 back into use at 5:00 AM on 15th April. By 15th April, the Yushu local road maintenance team divided themselves into 3 groups, one worked on the landslide and ruined bridges on the road from Jiegu to Zhiduo; one started repair work from Nangqian to Jiegu, with great efforts to open the passageway to Changdu of Tibet; and the last one started repair work from Duolamakang to the direction of Zaduo, to remove the landslide mass in Longqingxia section.
The quake had caused various fatal damages along the roads. Many bridges collapsed and displaced. Besides, many roads adjacent to the quake-hit area suffered from mudslide, sinking and cracks. Highway infrastructures are severely damaged.
After the quake, emergency response plans were immediately launched by the Transport Department of Qinghai. A rescue team of 200 staffs arrived at the interrupted Changu Power Plant K815-816 for restoring the normal operations and cleared the highway from Yushu Airport to Jiegu at 1300 pm of 14th, creating conditions for the transport of rescue materials. Along the K804-803 section, maintenance teams spared no efforts in clearing the roads in grave weather, and succeeded in restoring the traffics on G214 at 0500 am of 15th. On the 15th, there were 3 teams conducting maintenance works, one for the restoration of the highway from Jiegu to Zhiduo, one for the smooth travel to Changdu of Tibet, and the last one for the clearance of Longqingxia from Duolamakang to Zaduo.
By the morning of 15th, there had been altogether 800 people and 80 sets of large equipments involved in the rescue operations dispatched by the Transport Department of Qinghai, and debris of 45,000 cubic meters had been cleared. In order to ensure the safe and smooth transport of materials, road maintenance agencies deployed designated personnel to monitor and manage G214. On Huashixia Bridge and Maduohuanghe Bridge, only one vehicle with limited speed was allowed to pass by once time.
Managing and monitoring the bridges are being conducted by the Transport Department of Qinghai for assuring the safe and smooth transport of rescue materials.
In the wake of the quake, the transport authorities of adjacent areas immediately dispatched teams to the quake-hit areas to help the rescue operations. The Transport Department of Gansu dispatched 59 technical experts and machinery operators with rich experiences, two sets of push dozers, 10 transporting vehicles and 100,000 tons of diesels to the Yushu quake-hit area to help the rescue operations on that night.
The Transport Bureau of Ganzi, Sichuan, required all the relevant road agencies of all towns to spare no efforts in safeguarding the smooth traffics, opening "green corridors" for all the vehicles with rescue materials, and arranging designated personnel to the quake-hit areas to monitor the smooth traffics and the availability of the "green corridors". Furthermore, the Transport Bureau of Ganzi immediately procured a total value of 80,000 RMB of food, water and other necessities to the quake-hit area.
3. Large Equipment of the Traffic Armed Police in the Quake-hit Areas.
Immediately after the Yushu earthquake, Commanding Headquarter of the Traffic Armed Police launched the Emergency Response Plans. The Traffic Armed Police stationed Xi'ning aggregated more than 200 professional rescuers and more than 160 sets of rescue equipment after 2 hours after the quake and dashed to the quake-hit areas. Meanwhile, the Traffic Armed Police stationed in Gansu, Sichuan and Tibet, also reacted and dispatched various specialized vehicles and equipment, food and other rescue materials to the quake-hit areas. Up to 1400 pm of 15th, a total of 12 wounded people have been rescued by the Traffic Armed Police.
4. Special Fund of RMB10 million for Quake-Relief Operations allocated by MOT
The quake brought about severe damages to many roads including G214, S308 and S309, resulted in considerable work for traffic restoration. In order to ensure the access to the quake-hit areas by roads, upon the approval of Ministry of Finance, MOT appropriated RMB10 million from the Vehicle-Purchasing Tax revenue as the special fund for road repair works in the quake-hit areas.
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