3 posts tagged “chinese earthquake”
Death Toll: over 40,000 people
Still Missing: 32,000 people
Some of the aftershocks over the past three days (they have been happening since the day of the earthquake):
Magnitude 5.0 Friday, May 16, 2008 at 04:16:51 PM (EDT)
Magnitude 5.7 Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 01:08:25 PM (EDT)
Magnitude 4.5 Sunday May 18, 2008 at 08:37:03 AM (EDT)
Magnitude 5.2 Monday, May 19, 2008 at 01:52:33 PM (EDT)
Magnitude 4.5 Monday, May 19, 2008 at 08:57:36 PM (EDT)
Above is a map which shows the locations of the aftershocks. It states there are 28 earthquakes (which includes aftershocks) on the map.
Death toll: 21,500 confirmed.
Recent activity: Powerful aftershocks at 11:34 PM local time (11:34 Am EST) magnitude 5.1; 1:25 PM EST, magnitude 5.5, both of which triggered more landslides and building collapses.
Update on the reach of orginial earthquake at 7.9 on May 12: It was felt in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand.
I can not find news on the dam at Zippingpu yet. The Chinese gov't claims it "plugged the cracks", but I do not feel comfortable about a claim such as that.
A set of imagery from 2006 and the present in Sichuan Province. The strikingly brown areas in the current image are places devastated by the earthquake (showing bare earth from landslides, etc). This set of images is from the Space and Major Disasters organisation that was given to the Chinese government to assist with the disaster. To form this org, countries teamed up, starting in 2000, where they share their satellite imagery for disasters. Members include China National Space Admin, Indian Space Research Org, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NOAA, NASA, and Argentine Space Agency.
May 15, 2008 10:30 AM EST
Confirmed death toll: 19,509
Projected death toll: 50,000
Est. people still buried: ~ 30,000
Also affected: Taiwan
Amount of people estimated to be affected (loss of loved ones, homeless, damage to homes, workplaces, loss of power, injuries, lack of access to water and food): ~ 10 million
Other problems:
- Sichuan Province is home to many dams, and they are damaged by the quake. One dam, the Zipingpu Dam which was recently contructed among very high criticism including that of seismologists and geologists, about its being erected in a quake zone near a faultline, has suffered four inch cracks as well as landslides. This dam stands 500 feet in height and is about 35 miles from the epicentre of the quake. There are an estimated 400 dams with damage from the quake.
- Minyuang is home to several nuclear weapons facilities which have been damaged, reported by the the China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corporation on its website, but it does not report if there are any leaks or descriptions of the damage.
- Massive mud and landslides have blocked 2 rivers from continuing on their course in Qingchuan County. A huge lake has formed from the backed-up water. They have made an appeal for geologists to develop a rescue plan to assist in resolving this before further disaster strikes.
Celebrities donating: NBA star Yao Ming, proposed over a quarter of a million dollars of personal funds for aide.
Foreigners present at time of the quake: a group of American and British tourists on a WWF trip to observe giant pandas, all were safe and airlifted out today. The pandas at the breeding centre in Wolong were reported safe.
How to help: http://www.interaction.org/china
