Support and Love for Sichuan Quake Victims

Massive Quake Strikes Sichuan, China

A major earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan County of Southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:28 p.m. on May 12, 2008.

Wenchuan County, as the epicenter of the quake, is located 31.0 degrees north latitude and 103.4 degrees east longitude, which is about 159 kilometers to the northwest of Chengdu, provincial capital of Sichuan. With a population of 111,800 and an area of 4084 sq.km., Wenchuan lies in southeast part of the Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba, where there is the Wolong Panda Nature Reserve.

The earthquake has left the province in chaos. More than 3.46 million houses were wracked. Nearly all bridges and roads collapsed. Telecommunication connections and Electricity broke down. People were trapped in debris. As of 2 p.m. on May 18, it is reported that the confirmed national death toll rose to 32,477, and the toll from the disaster would possibly climb to more than 50,000 as many, still buried in rubbles, are feared dead.

Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Sichuan to oversee rescue work hours after the quake. More than 50,000 People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops rushed into Wenchuan County and airdropped six tons of food, drinking water, tents and medicine. Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors from the earthquake rubble. At the same time, more and more enterprises and individuals are taking action to help the disaster-hit areas. They have joined a charity campaign, including blood and money donations, no benefit performance and all kinds of praying.