BEIJING: Sixteen people have been killed and 76 others are injured after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in the city of Nagqu in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region at 10:33 p.m. on Thursday, local authorities said.
The updated casualty figures were announced at 1 p.m. on Friday at a press conference held by the Nagqu municipal government information office. More than 5,000 personnel have been deployed to the front lines, operating in specialized teams covering search and rescue, medical treatment, temporary shelter and the supply distribution. An emergency command headquarters has been established on the front lines to coordinate relief efforts. Local authorities have launched round-the-clock monitoring of key infrastructure and high-risk sites including mountainsides, reservoirs, power stations, rivers, damaged structures and telecommunications base stations. Emergency repairs are also underway, with downed power and communication lines gradually being restored.
Earthquake monitoring, meteorological and emergency management departments are coordinating closely to issue timely warnings for potential aftershocks and adverse weather. Police and transport authorities have inspected more than 1,700 kilometers of roads, 201 bridges and 324 culverts to keep a logistical pipeline open, clearing fallen rocks from seven locations and addressing 11 identified hazards. To support relief efforts, the Red Cross Society of China has dispatched a working team to the region alongside 3,800 aid kits containing family supplies, hygiene products, heaters, tents, jackets, folding beds and quilts. Additionally, the China Charity Federation, one of the country’s most influential charity organizations, has allocated 3 million yuan (about $446,561) to bolster emergency rescue operations. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
