Chinese paramilitary police in Jiuzhaigou in China’s southwestern Sichuan province
Photo: Xinhua
At least 19 people were killed on August 8 when an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale hit Chengdu, Sichuan’s provincial capital in eastern Tibet. Paramilitary forces were immediately deployed to provide emergency care to the critically injured.
According to the authorities, at the time of writing the recorded death toll stands at 19 while 247 people have been seriously injured. Due to the proximity of the epicentre to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve, a UNESCO world heritage site, visiting tourists were among the casualties.
The earthquake struck around 9:20 pm. The epicentre was located 284 kilometres north of Chengdu, as surveyed by the US Geological Services. Residents of Kyangtsa in the Ngaba prefecture werealso affected, experiencing landslides and a power blackout across the region.The quake in Chengdu was followed by another measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale in Xinjiang on August 9. Xinjiang or East Turkestan is in north western China close to the border with Kazakhstan.
Chinese paramilitary police helping a victim
Photo: RFA
China Earthquake Administration has declared a Level 1 emergency. Around 45,000 tourists were evacuated from the region; 1,000 were still waiting to be evacuated at the time of writing. Around 400 fire trucks, together with 1,100 firefighters were sent immediately to the affected areas. Generators were installed and rescue dogs were deployed to search for signs of life under the rubble.
Around 130,000 houses and properties were damaged by the quake. Experts believe that the death toll might increase as the rubble is cleared.
This is not the first time the Sichuan province has experienced an earthquake on this scale. In 2008 an earthquake left more than 70,000 people dead.
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