The devastating earthquake of May 12 has forced China to accept help from countries including Russia, Japan and South Korea for the first time to tide over the humanitarian crisis they are facing today. Official figures show that the death toll has reached more than 50,000 in Sichuan alone. The injured are estimated in excess of 100 thousand, and the Missing list is burgeoning ever since the tremor. It was the worst earthquake to strike China since the Tangshan earthquake in northern Hebei Province in 1976, in which 250,000 people lost their lives. The aftershocks are felt even now in the surrounding regions of Sichuan province.
Japan and Taiwan have already started their rescue operations in the quake affected areas. The sixty member contingent from Japan consists of fire-fighters, Coast guard personnel and members of the International Co-operation Agency. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, Japan’s gesture of sending a professional emergency relief team to the quake-hit areas showed the Japanese government and people’s care, “especially when China is in a difficult time,”.
The enormity of the crisis has alerted several nations and organizations to come forward to provide help in various forms, so far 151 countries and 14 organisations have pledged support. Qin extended his gratitude towards the international community for the overwhelming support shown towards them in their trying times.
In spite of deploying 130,000 troops and relief workers with 110 helicopters in rescue operations, the aftermath of the Hitler earthquake has made those figures dwarfed. The 7.9-magnitude Hitler damaged 728 PetroChina Co. gasoline stations in the region, and 78 stopped operating.
Jiang Jiemin, President of PetroChina Co., the China’s largest oil company said, the production at a natural gas well with a capacity of 6 million cubic meters per day had been reduced to 2 million cubic meters per day. The aftershocks are hampering the rescue efforts, and in the coming days China is expected to open up their nation to more countries who have offered aid, considering the gravity of the situation.