Food running out as villagers wait for more help to arrive
By Zha Minjie |
April 22, 2013, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS military helicopters hovered overhead and troops advanced to the areas of Lushan County most badly hit by Saturday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake, survivors were living in fear of aftershocks that could bring more nightmares to Sichuan Province.
In Longmeng Town's Gucheng Village, 88-year-old Zhang Dekuan was making paper money for his 40-year-old niece Gao Chunchun, who had been hit by falling bricks and fatally injured.
Zhang and his 90-year-old wife stayed awake all night as their wood and brick house was uninhabitable. Their granddaughter rushed back yesterday from the provincial capital Chengdu to help out.
A mattress in a makeshift shelter is, for the moment, the elderly couple's home. "It's a natural disaster, you can do nothing," said Zhang. One family member is still missing.
As they ate what little meat they had left, they wondered how long their limited supply of rice would last. They have enough water, though, brought in by troops and volunteers who also erected a temporary settlement of tents and shelters.
Another villager, Zhang Feng, said that his family of about 20 people had just one piece of pork and some vegetables left.
Instant noodles
"By today or tomorrow we will have consumed them all," Zhang said.
After the fresh food runs out, survivors will be relying on instant noodles brought in by the troops but supplies are insufficient.
Zhang spent Saturday night in his van but got little sleep.
Only the children playing around the settlement seemed to be happy. Little Luo Huiyao was being held by his grandmother as aftershocks caused the ground around them to shake but the six-year-old was laughing.
Each tent in the settlement can hold up to 20 people.
Telephones in the village were still cut off and no one knew when communications would be restored. However, communications in most parts of Lushan County were back to normal.
The village escaped relatively unscathed in the devastating 2008 earthquake but was hit hard this time.
Along a key route near Lushan, the 218 Highway, many people held up boards with messages saying they were short of food and water as convoys of troops passed by.
Only rubber boats can get into Lushan as roads have been damaged by the quake.
In Baosheng Township, meanwhile, many people have been evacuated to safety after a quake lake formed.
In Longmeng Town's Gucheng Village, 88-year-old Zhang Dekuan was making paper money for his 40-year-old niece Gao Chunchun, who had been hit by falling bricks and fatally injured.
Zhang and his 90-year-old wife stayed awake all night as their wood and brick house was uninhabitable. Their granddaughter rushed back yesterday from the provincial capital Chengdu to help out.
A mattress in a makeshift shelter is, for the moment, the elderly couple's home. "It's a natural disaster, you can do nothing," said Zhang. One family member is still missing.
As they ate what little meat they had left, they wondered how long their limited supply of rice would last. They have enough water, though, brought in by troops and volunteers who also erected a temporary settlement of tents and shelters.
Another villager, Zhang Feng, said that his family of about 20 people had just one piece of pork and some vegetables left.
Instant noodles
"By today or tomorrow we will have consumed them all," Zhang said.
After the fresh food runs out, survivors will be relying on instant noodles brought in by the troops but supplies are insufficient.
Zhang spent Saturday night in his van but got little sleep.
Only the children playing around the settlement seemed to be happy. Little Luo Huiyao was being held by his grandmother as aftershocks caused the ground around them to shake but the six-year-old was laughing.
Each tent in the settlement can hold up to 20 people.
Telephones in the village were still cut off and no one knew when communications would be restored. However, communications in most parts of Lushan County were back to normal.
The village escaped relatively unscathed in the devastating 2008 earthquake but was hit hard this time.
Along a key route near Lushan, the 218 Highway, many people held up boards with messages saying they were short of food and water as convoys of troops passed by.
Only rubber boats can get into Lushan as roads have been damaged by the quake.
In Baosheng Township, meanwhile, many people have been evacuated to safety after a quake lake formed.
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