Lessons from quake need learning

On the seventh day after the earthquake, which according to Chinese tradition marks the last day of mourning for those who have passed away, people from the whole nation lowered their heads for the victims of the disaster. Disasters bring losses, but they also make Chinese society grow more mature.

What we must do now is to discover why such a weak earthquake caused such heavy casualties, and take measures to strengthen buildings, offer emergency response training and develop related technologies. China won't forget the loss of any single life, and will remember them by preventing such tragedies from claiming more lives.

Beijing Times, Aug 10

Natural disasters are unavoidable, but we can minimize the loss of life and property. One effective way is to aid poor regions, so that they have enough money to build houses that can withstand earthquakes. That requires the joint efforts of the whole nation.

Hubei Daily, Aug 7

Both the State forces and numerous ordinary civilians are doing the rescue job in Yunnan and they could use modern technology to better cooperate. For example, the State can set up coordination centers, while the participants could use new media and modern electronic devices to collect detailed information about the regions hit by the earthquake and transmit it to the centers.

With ample geographic and other information about the regions, the coordination centers could better organize rescuers and send help to where it is most needed. Most importantly, they could forecast secondary disasters and better ensure safety for both rescuers and local residents.

nfdaily.cn, Aug 8

The earthquake early warning system is complex, including constant monitoring, analysis of the information, sending warnings and then alerting ordinary people. Failure at any stage means failure of the whole.

Currently China lags far behind others. Its earthquake early warning system covers only a few regions, its information can only be released through limited channels, while the public does not have enough awareness of any alert. To change this situation, requires the support of the whole nation, which could promote the use of the system with proper legislation and support research work with more funds.

Fujian Daily, Aug 6