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Latest development: Qinghai earthquake

By Quake Team (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-16 09:39

A total of 791 people were confirmed dead and 294 others were still missing in the devastating earthquake that shook northwest China's Qinghai Province Wednesday morning, the emergency rescue headquarters said Friday.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, the quake had left 11,486 people injured, including 1,176 serious cases, said Xia Xueping, spokesman with the emergency rescue headquarters in Qinghai province.

Following are the latest developments:

As of 1 a.m. on April 16, Qinghai emergency workers rescued 45 survivors, evacuated 140 quake-affected people and stamped out eight fires, people.com.cn reported.[16:43]

As of 8 am on April 16, a total of 669 medical staff from around China had arrived in Yushu for earthquake relief. They set up emergency treatment stations for operations and gave help to the local disaster relief work, CNR.cn reported.[15:44]

A total of 103 students and 12 teachers were confirmed dead after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Northwest China's Qinghai province, said the rescue headquarters in Yushu prefecture Friday morning.

By 10 o'clock Friday morning, the devastating earthquake had caused 115 deaths and 684 injuries among teachers and students in Qinghai province.[14:52]

Hong Kong Oxfam International, an international charity confederation, is planning to send blankets and waterproof sheeting as part of a 1.75 million yuan ($260,000) aid package to the earthquake-hit area of Yushu county in Qinghai province in Northwest China. The supplies will be sent from Oxfam's stock held in warehouses in neighboring Chengdu in Sichuan province.[14:49]

A team of 17 military medical experts, specializing in treating illnesses caused by the high attitude and low level of oxygen in the plateau area, is on its way to the earthquake rescue mission in Yushu, Qinghai province.

The team from the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing also carried with them medicine worth 100,000 yuan and brochures on health care in the plateau area, China News reported.[14:21]

According to the Yushu Public Security Bureau, even as the severe shortage of supplies is being relieved, five food looters were detained on April 15, and no violent criminal offenses were reported so far, Shenzhen TV reported. [14:18]

A 13-year-old Tibetan girl has been saved from a collapsed hotel in Yushu, Qinghai province, CCTV reported.[14:10]

A Tibetan woman, buried under the rubble for 49 hours after the April 14 earthquake, has been saved by rescuers from the Qinghai province infantry in Jieshi Town, Yushu, Northwest China's Qinghai province, China National Radio reported. She is in stable condition. [13:54]

There was a crack spanning more than 4 kilometers on the only road from Yushu Airport to the quake-hit area in Yushu, and it's possible that a landslide may occur, China National Radio reported. [12:01]

With extra effort from Guangdong's public security firefighting troops, 75 earthquake victims were pulled out, six of them alive, in earthquake-hit Yushu county, on April 15, 2010. But 28 soldiers in the group felt a variety of physical discomfort and withdrew from the area, according to cnr.cn. [11:58]

As of 11 p.m. on April 15, Yushu in Qinghai province was jolted by 890 aftershocks, including one earthquake over a 6 magnitude and three that reached 4. [11:48]

Each person displaced by the earthquake will receive a subsidy of 10 yuan per day and families of the earthquake victims will receive a bereavement payment of 5,000 yuan ($732) for each death, Xinhua reported. [11:33]

1,000 more soldiers sent to Yushu

1,000 more soldiers have been dispatched by the Qinghai Police Bureau to Yushu to help with the earthquake rescue efforts on Friday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to Xinhua, the bureau has so far sent a total of 4,150 rescue soldiers. About 1,170 people have been saved from the 7.1 magnitude quake. [11:21]

Panchen Lama donates 100,000 yuan

The 11th Pachen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, has donated 100,000 yuan (USD$14,647) to the earthquake relief efforts in Yushu, Qinghai province, China News reported.

Panchen Lama has also asked the monks in Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, Tibet, to chant and pray for the people who have been affected by the earthquake. [11:10]

Relief supplies arrive in Yushu

Sent by China’s Ministry of Commerce, relief supplies worth 1 million yuan ($147,000) were airlifted to Yushu county in Qinghai province, arriving two days after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the region.

They included 6.5 tons of instant food and 600 tons of frozen beef and mutton. More tents, emergency lights, power generators, temporary housing and mobile kitchens were set up in adjacent regions. [11:07]

Beijing mobile army hospital rushes to Yushu

A Beijing mobile army hospital that worked to save lives in the Wenchuan earthquake will send 176 rescuers to the quake-hit Yushu prefecture of Qinghai, a press official at a Beijing military unit revealed to China Daily on Friday morning. [10:44]

Tibetan translation group set up in Chengdu

Sichuan People’s Hospital in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan province, set up a Tibetan translation group Thursday made up of volunteers to help ease the language barrier when treating the wounded transferred from the quake-hit Yushu, Qinghai province, according the China Central Television (CCTV). [10:40]

Rescue workers get first hot meal since quake

About 40 soldiers from the Yushu armed police were staying in a shabby tent converted from a military truck and had to share four quilts at night despite the chilly weather in quake-hit Yushu.

They had their first hot meal in three days on Friday morning, after starting their resuce work on Wednesday, according to CCTV.[10:23]

Shandong gives $1.2 million to quake region

East China’s Shangdong province has donated 8 million yuan ($1.2 million) to Yushu after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the region on Wednesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Shandong also dispatched 186 soldiers to the quake-hit area to help with the rescue work. Moreover, the province has put together five medical teams and two expert groups who are waiting to make their way to Yushu. [10:10]

Liu Xiang donates $29,300 to Yushu

Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang has donated 200,000 yuan ($29,300) through Shanghai Red Cross to Yushu, Northwest China’s Qinghai province, on Thursday, the People’s Daily reported.

Liu is the first Olympic champion to make a donation to the quake-hit region. He also called for more donations and help across the nation to Yushu through his tweet on t.sina.com.cn. [10:06]

Chinese Writers Association has donated 500,000 yuan ($73,235) to the Publicity Department of Qinghai Provincial Government for the earthquake relief efforts, China News reported.

Tie Ning, president of the Association, urged writers to demonstrate the spirit of assistance - as the Chinese saying goes “Help comes from all eight points of the compass for the one place in need”.[10:05]

Rescuers sent by Fire Bureau of Ministry of Public Security have saved 594 survivors from rubble within 48 hours after the earthquake in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province. [09:50]

Leaders postpone overseas trips

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have postponed planned overseas visits because of a strong earthquake in northwestern China that has killed at least 760 people.

Hu postponed visits to Venezuela and Chile after a scheduled summit of Brazil, Russia, India and China slated for Thursday and a state visit to Brazil. Premier Wen has postponed a scheduled visit to Brunei, Indonesia and Myanmar on April 22-25. [09:40]

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