Race to reach survivors as China quake toll hits 617

By IANS
Thursday, April 15, 2010

BEIJING - Rescuers fought chilly weather, strong winds and frequent aftershocks Thursday to claw through rubble and reach survivors of the devastating earthquake that left 617 people dead and nearly 10,000 injured in northwest China.

The 7.1 magnitude quake, which struck Yushu prefecture in southern Qinghai province early Wednesday, also toppled 15,000 residential buildings and forced 100,000 residents to be relocated, authorities said.

Many people are still buried under the debris of collapsed houses in Gyegu town near the epicentre. The town was home to 100,000 people and it sits at about 4,000 meters above sea level, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 85 percent of houses in Gyegu, mostly made of mud and wood, collapsed in the earthquake.

“Freezing weather, high altitude and thin air have all made rescue efforts difficult,” said Hou Shike, an official of the China International Search and Rescue Team.

He said some of the team’s rescuers were feeling dizzy due to low oxygen level in the air soon after arriving at the Yushu airport Wednesday night.

Roads linking the airport and Gyegu were blocked by landslides triggered by the quake, hampering rescue efforts.

At the Yushu vocational school, more than 20 bodies have been recovered, but at least 20 others are still buried in the debris.

Most of the dazed survivors spent the night in open amid freezing weather or sought temporary shelters in buildings that remained unaffected by the tremor.

Rescuers have set up more than 40 tents for survivors in Gyegu, but the effort seemed far from enough.

Filed under: Accidents and Disasters

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