7.8 quake hits China

[Ecofarm]

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- At least four children were killed and 100 hurt when two primary school buildings collapsed after an earthquake capable of causing major damage shook central China on Monday.

The quake registered a magnitude of 7.8,, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The students died in the Chongqing municipality, about 215 miles (345 kilometers) southeast of the epicenter, according to China's official news agency Xinhua.

The Three Gorges Dam in Wenchuan -- near Chongqing -- was not damaged, a spokesman there said.

Two more earthquakes -- measuring 6.0 and 5.4 magnitudes -- happened nearby over the next hour, the USGS reported.

Chinese President Hu Jintao immediately ordered an all-out effort to help victims of the earthquakes, Xinhua reported.

It said Premier Wen Jiabao would go there to direct the rescue work.

China's state-run CCTV reported no serious damage in Chengdu, a city of more than 10 million that is about 60 miles from the epicenter, in the eastern part of China's Sichuan province.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/china.quake/index.html

So far, the damage reports are very minor for such a large quake.

 

[Berzerker]

it sure does seem like we're entering a period of increased tectonic activity. A swarm of small quakes have been detected off the Pacific NW coast, that cant be good. But to put things in perspective, volcanic activity during the mini ice age was supposedly 5 x higher, so maybe we're just getting back to a more normal situation.

 

[scy12]

Certainly one of the biggest earthquakes i have heard of lately. Thankfully only four persons had died.

 

[philippe]

It has awakened, as was predicted.

Fase 2 will happen soon.

 

[Narz]

Certainly one of the biggest earthquakes i have heard of lately. Thankfully only four persons had died.

For all the flak people love to give them the Red Chinese are very good at handling natural disasters.

 

[Ecofarm]

For all the flak people love to give them the Red Chinese are very good at handling natural disasters.

Not with disease they aren't. They suppress news about that until it gets too big to hide. And I don't know what makes you think they are so good at it in general, anyway.

Calls to emergency response numbers in Chengdu rang busy. A resident reached by phone in Chengdu said people flooded from buildings, but there was no sign of damage or injuries.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080512/ap_on_re_as/china_earthquake

That doesn't sound so great. Imagine if people got busy signals calling 9-1-1 after Katrina?

EDIT: After some reading, it seems that totalitarianism is pretty good at moving people around in a hurry.

 

[scy12]

For all the flak people love to give them the Red Chinese are very good at handling natural disasters.

I would imagine that for such a large country they have seen so many natural disasters that they become more efficient at handling them. However i am always unsure if just the number of the "power" of the earthquake in enough to understand how dangerous it is. I believe there much more to consider in relations to earthquakes but then only a geologist can explain them to us.

 

[Berzerker]

I doubt only 4 people died

quakes that big tend to take out a ~1/4 million people in that region

the deadliest quake on record killed nearly a million Chinese back in the 1500s

 

[Oerdin]

it sure does seem like we're entering a period of increased tectonic activity. A swarm of small quakes have been detected off the Pacific NW coast, that cant be good. But to put things in perspective, volcanic activity during the mini ice age was supposedly 5 x higher, so maybe we're just getting back to a more normal situation.

As a geologist all I can say is...

 

[scy12]

As a geologist all I can say is...

Then ...

I believe there much more to consider in relations to earthquakes but then only a geologist can explain them to us.

 

[Tee Kay]

We'll soon see. Remember in Burma it took nearly a week to realise the full extent of the impact.

 

[linfeixb27]

It is a tragety. Some of my fellow colleague who come from SiChuan province are now trying to connect their families anxiously.

 

[Dann]

It's bad allright.

They're not hiding anything.
http://www.cctv.com/english/20080512/107195.shtml

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/12/content_8153541.htm

http://www.cctv.com/english/20080512/107174.shtml

Incidentally I didn't feel anything at all. Maybe it's because my office is on the 3rd floor.

 

[linfeixb27]

I in Hong Kong did not feel anything either.

 

[Ecofarm]

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- At least 107 people died in a major earthquake that rocked central China on Monday -- but the total does not include any of the nearly 900 students feared buried in a collapsed high school.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/china.quake/index.html

 

[Dann]

Yeah rescue work is still ongoing. Guess that's why they don't want to write off that 900 figure yet.

 

[Abaddon]

So fudging is occouring

 

[bhsup]

So fudging is occouring

Er, they might just save some of them, Ab.

 

[plarq]

Didn't feel anything...

I guess the government doesn't hide anything, except for casualty number.

 

[scy12]

A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 8,500 people in China and left hundreds trapped under rubble, state run media report. About 900 students are reported buried under a collapsed school. China's Seismological Bureau said the quake affected more than half the country's provinces and municipalities
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/china.quake/index.html

Unfortunately the rule of the pessimists being usually correct was applied in this case.