Major Earthquake in China

There was a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in remote China on Wednesday with many strong aftershocks following, but the end of the quake does not mean its the end of the danger for the survivors. The quake happened in Qinghai province, the town of Jiegu being closet to the epicenter. So far around 600 people have been reportedly killed and many others injured, but the death toll is expected to rise. Rescuers are having problems getting proper equipment into Jiegu due to unstable bridges and roadways that collapsed. Many are digging through the rubble with shovels and their hands to try to find survivors. Also, the province in which the earthquake occured is a remote, impoverished, and mountainous area with very few doctors with little medical supplies. They are also without electrical power, because the quake cracked the hydroelectric power plant, so it had to be shut down. Many survivors are trying to head up the mountain, in case of flooding from a reservoir that was cracked during the earthquake as well. Many have not seen any government assistance. There was also a lot of damage in the other towns in the Qinghai province, and many homes were destroyed. Temperatures get down to freezing at night, so getting emergency shelters up is crucial.

http://http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/14/china.quake/index.html

Submitted by: Kathleen Tite