Desperate search for survivors
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China Daily, September 10, 2012
 |
|
Armed police build up makeshift tents after Friday's earthquake in Yiliang County, Yunnan Province. |
Li, one of the rescuers in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, said his soldiers are now searching for survivors in remote mountain areas. He said the rescue is less difficult than in 2008 but more dangerous, as there is a greater danger of landslides.
On some sections of the road leading to Luozehe township, the area hardest-hit by the tremors, pedestrians run at full speed to get through, as rocks and sand continue to fall from steep slopes beside the road. Huge rocks and vehicles twisted by rocks can still be seen on the road.
At a work conference on Sunday, officials and military officers said the large number of vehicles, including military vehicles, ambulances and trucks, on roads leading to the disaster zone is delaying the efficiency of the rescue.
"There are too many vehicles, and many seem to have just gone in to have a look," said Liu Jianhua, mayor of Zhaotong.
The disaster relief headquarters is considering imposing roadblocks.
Congestion was further aggravated on Sunday, as it took more than two hours to get on and off the road used for the rescue, which is less than 12 kilometers long.
By 4 pm, 289 tremors measuring under 5.9 had occurred, and there is a possibility there will be stronger quakes, said Chen Qin, deputy director of the Yunnan Earthquake Administration, at a news conference.
The quakes happened in a relatively poor, mountainous area and brought heavy casualties, Huang Fugang, director of the administration, was quoted as saying by China Central Television.
The area is also intersected by steep mountains, making it prone to secondary disasters such as landslides, he said.
As of Sunday, 2,283 volunteers have registered with the county government, and 1,300 of them had been arranged in six teams to Yiliang for various services, according to the information office of Zhaotong.
"However, we suggest volunteers from outside the city do not come to the quake area, as factors such as the complex landscape, continuous aftershocks and imminent strong rainfall can easily cause more disasters," the office said.
Xu Xingxiang, a student at Yiliang No 1 Middle School, said she has been providing volunteer work such as helping carry relief materials and put up tents since Friday.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)