Images following the Jiegu quake
Above is a picture of Yushu (Jiegu) taken 4 months ago. The town is actually a bit larger than is shown in the photo, but it gives you an idea of the landscape as well as the building style in the area. The pictures below were taken literally minutes after the earthquake occurred. It has been reported that the damage is widespread with upwards of 85% of the structures being destroyed.
As you can see, most of the buildings were reduced to absolute rubble. For more information see our “Relief Efforts” page as well as an audio interview from an eye witness at the scene. We, again, are thankful to be able to assist in the government effort in this area, to bring relief to these people.
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Information as of 12:24am local time 4/16
We were relieved to see some of our close friends and colleagues, who were in Yushu during the earthquake, make it back to Xining today. They were able to give us an informative but heart-wrenching first-hand account of the earthquake disaster. In short, the government is doing an efficient job of quickly funneling relief to the earthquake areas and we are excited to be able to work with, and under their instruction. We encourage you to listen to the audio file below.
Some of the points made in the interview:
- Approximately 1,500 fully-loaded government vehicles streaming to the earthquake zone.
- Close to 90% of buildings in Jiegu reported as down.
- Government effectively moved residents to traditional “horse festival” grasslands.
- Western side of city completely leveled.
- Eastern more industrial side of city damaged but damage less extensive.
- No residents living in Jiegu.
Again, we are very pleased to report that the government response has been quick and effective, and we are happy to continue to work with them during this time.
11:41PM Local Time
PP was excited to get a team off this morning with government help. We have a team that is half way to the earthquake zone with loads of relief supplies. Several first hand reports have said that the government is doing an excellent job of relief efforts in the area. Two local drivers reported that the roads were full with government relief supplies. One very reliable report suggested there were close to 1,500 fully loaded support vehicles in route to Jiegu.
AP China Reports of Yushu Quakes
By ANITA CHANG (AP) – 1 hour ago
XINING, China — Rescuers combed through the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors Thursday, more than a day after strong earthquakes shook a mountainous Tibetan region of China, killing nearly 600 people and injuring thousands.
The series of quakes flattened buildings across remote western Yushu county and sent survivors, many bleeding from their wounds, flooding into the streets of Jiegu township. State television showed block after devastated block of toppled mud and wood homes. Local officials said 85 percent of the buildings had been destroyed.
Residents and troops garrisoned in the town used shovels and their hands to pull survivors and bodies from the rubble much of the day Wednesday. Several schools collapsed, with the state news agency saying at least 56 students died. Worst hit was the Yushu Vocational School, where the officials Xinhua News Agency cited a local education official as saying 22 students, 20 of them girls, died.
State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of rescuers working at night, picking through the rubble aided by torchlights fixed to their safety helmets. A group of workers found a girl trapped for more than 12 hours under a heap of debris.
“I can’t feel my arm,” said the girl, who was curled up with her back to the workers. The workers talked to her and fed her water as others searched for pieces of wood to prop up the rubble that had entrapped her. As rescuers gingerly pulled her out and carried her to a stretcher, she could be heard saying: “I’m sorry for the trouble. Thank you, I will never forget this.”
READ MORE AT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
*please note that Plateau Perspectives and Yushu Earthquakre Relief are not affilliated with the AP
10:36 am Local Time
Plateau Perspectives is meeting with Yushu Foreign Affairs Office today at 12:30. Right now, only a small team from PP has been invited, but we will be working to expand permissions more broadly. Many doctors throughout China who are ready to help, and the first group will be arriving from Sichuan this morning, though they too will be waiting for expanded permissions to procede to Yushu. Right now, the best ways to help are to spread awareness of how people can give directly through YEQR.com and to donate.
NPR Reports of Yushu Quakes
A strong earthquake and a series of aftershocks in the mountains of China’s southwestern Tibetan Plateau killed at least 400 people and injured some 10,000 others Wednesday. Authorities said they feared that the death toll would rise because many people were trapped in collapsed houses and buildings.
The largest earthquake, recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey as magnitude 6.9, struck at 7:49 a.m. local time and was centered about 28 miles northwest of Yushu county in China’s sparsely populated Qinghai province. Panicked people, many bleeding from their wounds, flooded the streets as houses made of mud and wood crumbled.
READ MORE AT NPR.COM
*please note that Plateau Perspectives and Yushu Earthquakre Relief are not affilliated with NPR
Relief Efforts for 4/15: China Time
At 2am Plateau Perspectives was granted permission to enter the Yushu area. Plateau Perspectives has been asked by the head of the Yushu Prefecture Foreign Affairs Office to come to the quake site as soon as possible to aid in relief efforts. PP will therefore be sending a medical team to Yushu early Thursday to assist and to deliver supplies.
Relief Efforts for 4/14: China Time
Plateau Perspectives and Yushu Earthquake Relief spent much of the day assessing personnel and funds available for immediate response, coordinating among the Xining and broader expatriate communities, seeking official permissions from the Foreign Affairs Office and PSB, as well as buying as many medical supplies as possible. We now have two full truckloads of medical supplies that we are hoping to take to Yushu within the next 12 hours. Needless to say it was and incredibly taxing day for all involved, not least because of the emotional weight of not knowing the condition of many friends and co-workers in the affected area.
Deadly quake in Southern Qinghai
On April 14th 2010 several earthquakes struck the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai province, the largest of which was magnitude 6.9. Initial eyewitness reports from the prefecture government seat Jiegu (Jyekundo) speak of extensive damage to houses and many wounded and dead. Official figures at time of writing are 300 dead and 8000 wounded. As more information becomes available we will be posting it atYushuEarthQuake.org.
Initial requests from the prefectural government to our organization (Plateau Perspectives) include medical supplies, tents, and blankets. We will be sending an advance medical team down in a few hours to assess the situation and set up to receive additional supplies and medical personnel.
Yushu Prefecture is where all of our work for the past 10+ years has taken place, and Jaegu (Yushu Town) is home to many of our local friends. We’re very sad to have lost at least one friend and are waiting to hear news about several others. All of our fellow expats who were in the area at the time of the quake have made it out safely.
Links
Enter the following Chinese links with latest news and pictures into translate.google.com to read the pages in English.
Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China Website
http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2010-04/14/content_1580853.htm
Qinghai Province People’s Government Website
http://www.qh.gov.cn/html/31/133180.html
Qinghai Earthquake Portal
http://www.eqqh.gov.cn/zwgk/zwxx/201004/2298.shtml
USGS Latest Earthquakes in the World – Past 7 days
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html
Magnitude 6.9 – SOUTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA 2010 – April 13 23:49:37 UTC
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010vacp.php
For Canada/UK donations that need tax deductable receipts, please visit http://www.plateauperspectives.org/donate.htm
