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A group of workers (at Yushu Vocational School) found a girl trapped for more than 12 hours under the debris. "I can't feel my arm," said the girl, who was curled up with her back to the workers.
The workers spoke soothingly to the girl to keep her calm as others searched for pieces of wood to prop up the rubble that had entrapped her.
As rescuers gently extracted and carried her to a stretcher, she could be heard saying: "I'm sorry for the trouble. Thank you, I will never forget this."
Chinese earthquake: thousands remain trapped as rescue operation is ramped up - Daily Telegraph
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As you may know, Wednesday at 07:49:37 AM CCT (Tuesday, 23:49:37 UTC) a massive
6.9 earthquake struck Qinghai Province, China, centered in Yushu County on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
Let's get up to date after the fold. ** Updated **
:: Updates in Bold and at bottom.
Sometimes a picture is one thousand words, and a few words can speak volumes.
Rather than recite news ad nausea, I'd like to offer a few comments and link to news sources you can read and see for yourself.
The current situation is this now, in numbers and deeds:
:: Over 700 1,144 fatalities with the numbers expected to increase as work proceeds
:: Over 10,000 11,744 injured with a large number of persons with broken bones
:: 417 persons are still missing
:: About 7,000 relief workers are now on site in a massive effort but the situation is still described as "chaotic and overwhelming"
:: The airport was left standing but roads in the areas are severly damaged hampering efforts, with at least 12-14 hours drive to the quake zone.
:: Likewise, releif supplies such as food, medicine, tents, blankets and clothing are "on order" but in short supply Roads are now open and releif supplies are arriving
:: Due to the high altitude, temperature swings to sub-zero at night endangering the trapped survivors and in the thin air, rescue workers and sniffeer dogs are struggling to fight fatigue and maintain the effort
:: In a replay of 2008, a teary-eyed Wen Jiabao (a Geologist by training) visited the scene Thursday to assess the situation
This was a shallow eathquake that produced massive thrust and devistaing effects, leveling up to 85% of the buildings in this sparsly populated rural region, with some villages virtually leveled.
Compounding the problem is the fact that traditional local buildings are constructed from mud bricks and wooden framework, which crumbled under the force burrying tens of thousands of people. The quake was so powerful in some places that even well-constructed modern buildings were thrust from their foundations, in some cases virtually suspended like bridges while the earth below crumbled.
Needless to say, my thoughts and heart are with the victims and those making the rescue effort.
Also heavy on my mind is the fact that Qinghai is one of the few places on earth where people still live essentially traditional lives as hearders and farmers in harmony with nature. The earth has delt these people a heavy blow and we now must question:
:: Where to go from here?
:: How can we introduce modernity in a positive way without destroying a culture worth preserving for those who chose to live their own way?
I don't have the answers, but will think on that and welcome yours too.
The links that follow include selected stories in English that provide the detials, and several photo slide shows and videos, linked rather than embedded with consideration to avoid slow loading.
Please have a look, it's what's happening at the top of the world today.
Polite Notice : Some of the photos include graphic images on injured people including children, and images of severe distruction, so be prepared. Photo/Video links marked accordingly and load to the host pages not directly.
Chinese earthquake: thousands remain trapped as rescue operation is ramped up (Telegraph)
China earthquake: scenes of devastation in Qinghai (Telegraph)
China earthquake: thousands missing as rescuers search for survivors (Telegraph)
China Eathquake in Pictures (Telegraph Slideshow)
China earthquake in pictures: rescue attempts continue (Telegraph Slideshow)
Thousands of rescue workers search for survivors of China earthquake (Guardian)
Chinese rescuers step up search for quake survivors (BBC Article & Video)
China sifts rubble for survivors (BBC Video)
China earthquake kills hundreds in Qinghai province (BBC Video)
Qinghai quake : 'No time to react' (BBC)
In Pictures: China western quake (BBC Slideshow)
Series of strong earthquakes hit China (Reuters 165 image slideshow)
Hundreds Die In China Earthquake (Skynews Video)
Rescuers Battle To Save China Quake Victims (Skynews Viseo)
Earthquake in Yushu County, China (Time/CNN Slideshow)
Comment - Although I have linked Time's slideshow, I want to say they are trying to politicize this thing in the worst way. It's a sad commentary when not 48 hours after a natural disaster, the pundits are out in force while people lay dying under rubble and others try to save them. Wishing they never face such problems.
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It's nearly 06:00 here and I must work but will try to vist later to answer questions and comments, at latest, this evening.
Thanks for reading.
Peace.
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Update
It's now past the 72 hour mark when chances of suvival decline. Much progress has been made but with over 10,000 strucures destroyed the task is daunting to find the remaining 417 persons missing.
For the first 48 hours the situation was chaotic as many roads were blocked hampering efforts to evacuate injured and bring in supplies but Friday marked a turning point as roads were cleared and injured finally air lifted to regional hospitals. fortunately, the new airport was relatively undamaged and able to function on standbay power.
Qinghai people are tough and self-reliant. As can bee seen in the videos below, the people pulled together working with rescue workers to find missing and dig them out of the rubble working with bare hands and simple tools. The red robes of Buddhist Monks and orange jumpers of the Rescue crews working side-by-side says something about the human potential to do good when we have a common goal and a little organization and self-disapline. I hope they have a chance to share a cup of tea and make friends when the dust clears.
The stories, slideshows and videos below update the situation and show some of the rescue efforts including some "miracles" everyday heros make.
China quake death toll 'passes 1,000'(BBC)
China rescue effort builds after Qinghai earthquake (BBC w/ video & slideshow)
Girl rescued from rubble after China quake (BBC video)
In pictures: Yushu quake aid efforts (BBC slideshow)
Earthquake survivors in Tibet mourn loss of treasured heritage (Gurardian)
The last story touches upon my question. Qinghai is a beautiful land where people live a simple traditional life of herding Yaks and Sheep. A majority of people are devout Buddhists and many have little formal eduction, but a rich culture.
The landscape is dramatic with intensely bright bue skys and plains ringed by mountians. Small villages dot the landscape where ouside of the few town, monistaries are the largest buildings.
In recent years, efforts have been made to provide more modern infrastructure and eduction to children (indeeed, several NGOs support roving teachers that follow nomadic famillies) but there is always some conflict between modernity and traditional life
Now nature has leveled a culture and it has to be rebuilt. It won't be easy because we need to find the way to make buildings safer and provide modern conveniences like hot running water and internet. Some of this will be easy; there are more solar heaters and wireless connections in China than anywhere else. We can hold communities together in temporary houses as was done following the Wenchuan earthquake.
But how can we rebuld an ancient culture in modern times with the right mix of change, without destryong the good?
We shall see. Ideas welcome.