Authorities act to protect survivors
Source: Xinhua |
May 7, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUTHORITIES are working to protect quake survivors in the northwestern province of Qinghai from potential secondary disasters.
The government has provided enough food, drinking water and tents for more than 200,000 quake survivors, but landslides, floods and disease outbreaks may still threaten their lives.
The quake has killed at least 2,220 people, with 70 still missing and more than 12,000 injured.
Recent rain raised the risk of landslides as the devastating quake and aftershocks have destabilized mountain slopes.
A total of 139 survivors were evacuated from their make-shift homes in Changu Village in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Region on Tuesday as rain triggered landslides.
"It's still an arduous task to prevent and guard against secondary disasters," said Wang Jianbin, deputy director of the Qinghai provincial land and resources bureau.
In the hardest-hit Gyegu Township, where 85 percent of the buildings collapsed, potential secondary disasters in 10 areas posed threats to the safety of 1,924 residents, Wang said.
Experts are checking potential secondary disasters in 57 villages.
Gyegu Township is at the intersection of two rivers and often plagued by flash floods in normal years.
The earthquake has damaged river dikes and blocked seven out of eight flood discharge tunnels.
"Many survivors and rescuers living in tents beside rivers will face threats from flooding," Yu Congle, director of the provincial water resources bureau, said. "But we will never let the quake-hit region be wrecked by flooding."
River dikes are being reinforced and flood discharge tunnels unplugged, Yu said.
Health authorities have sent 137 medical workers to guard against any outbreaks of infectious disease.
The government has provided enough food, drinking water and tents for more than 200,000 quake survivors, but landslides, floods and disease outbreaks may still threaten their lives.
The quake has killed at least 2,220 people, with 70 still missing and more than 12,000 injured.
Recent rain raised the risk of landslides as the devastating quake and aftershocks have destabilized mountain slopes.
A total of 139 survivors were evacuated from their make-shift homes in Changu Village in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Region on Tuesday as rain triggered landslides.
"It's still an arduous task to prevent and guard against secondary disasters," said Wang Jianbin, deputy director of the Qinghai provincial land and resources bureau.
In the hardest-hit Gyegu Township, where 85 percent of the buildings collapsed, potential secondary disasters in 10 areas posed threats to the safety of 1,924 residents, Wang said.
Experts are checking potential secondary disasters in 57 villages.
Gyegu Township is at the intersection of two rivers and often plagued by flash floods in normal years.
The earthquake has damaged river dikes and blocked seven out of eight flood discharge tunnels.
"Many survivors and rescuers living in tents beside rivers will face threats from flooding," Yu Congle, director of the provincial water resources bureau, said. "But we will never let the quake-hit region be wrecked by flooding."
River dikes are being reinforced and flood discharge tunnels unplugged, Yu said.
Health authorities have sent 137 medical workers to guard against any outbreaks of infectious disease.
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