230 killed as quake topples buildings in Yunnan
Print Edition
AT least 230 people have died and dozens are missing after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted southwest China’s Yunnan Province yesterday afternoon.
More than 1,400 people have been injured, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The quake hit at 4:30pm with a depth of 12 kilometers and the epicenter in Longtoushan Township, 23 kilometers southwest of the county seat of Ludian, Zhaotong City.
As of last night, 221 residents had been killed, more than 100 missing and 1,300 injured in Zhaotong City, the local government said.
More than 12,000 houses had been toppled and 30,000 damaged. Traffic, electricity and telecommunications had been cut.
As of 8:42pm, a road linking Qiaojia County and Ludian that had been damaged by the quake and downpours had reopened after emergency repairs, Zhaotong’s road administration said. Meanwhile, the road connecting Zhaotong and Ludian had also been repaired.
However, according to China Central Television, the only road linking Ludian and Longtoushan was blocked by mudslides before the quake rattled Zhaotong.
The quake also led to at least nine deaths in nearby Huize County.
Pictures and video clips on Sina Weibo showed firefighters helping those stuck in collapsed houses get out of the rubble. Many injured were seen being put on stretchers by doctors and nurses while receiving intravenous drips.
Ma Hao, a college student who volunteered for the rescue effort at Longtoushan, said he saw bodies buried in ruins and helped to carry more than 40 injured people out of collapsed buildings.
“Honestly, it’s such a shame that we had no time to take care of the bodies. We need to help those alive first,” he said.
A Ludian resident said: “I felt a strong jolt on my fifth-floor home and some small objects in my home fell off the shelves.”
Another said it felt like “sailing a boat” when he was driving a car in the tremor.
Ma Liya, who also lives in Ludian, said the streets were like “battlefield after bombardment.” She said her neighbor’s house, a new two-story building, had been toppled.
“It’s so terrible. The aftermath is much much worse than what happened after the quake two years ago. I have never felt so strong tremors before. What I can see are all ruins,” she said.
Ma is also worried about the family of her cousin, who live in Longtoushan, as her calls have gone unanswered. “I just hope they are safe and sound.”
The quake toppled and cracked many buildings, particularly older structures, and residential homes, officials said.
As of 8pm, more than 2,500 troops had been dispatched to the quake zone.
Zhaotong City has sent more than 300 police and firefighters to the quake-hit area. The province also sent 392 rescuers and 12 sniffer dogs.
Civil affairs authorities are sending 2,000 tents, 3,000 folding beds, 3,000 quilts and 3,000 coats to the area.
In a race to save lives, a number of non-governmental organizations, including the One Foundation, have sent rescue staff to the quake-hit area.
The Red Cross Society of China’s Yunnan branch has sent 500 quilts, 500 blankets and 100 tents, and is to launch a donation campaign.
The Red Cross Society of China has also allocated 2,000 quilts, 2,000 jackets and 200 tents, while branches in Hong Kong, Macau and Sichuan Province have also sent supplies.
Ludian has a population of nearly 430,000.
Zhaotong, about 300 kilometers from Kunming, capital Yunnan Province, is on the earthquake belt.
In September 2012, a 5.7-magnitude caused more than 80 deaths and injured more than 800 people.
In 1974, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the same place caused over 1,400 deaths.
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