Chengdu [Chengdu]

2nd batch of supplies from USAID arrive in Chengdu CHENGDU, May 22 -- Another batch of relief materials worth US$815,000 from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) arrived in Chendu, provincial capital of Sichuan Province Thursday morning, May 22. It is the second time USAID sents relief supplies to China's quake zone. This batch of goods are mainly equipments for rescuing and health recovering, according to Xinhua.

445 tons of disinfection medicine arrive in disaster areas BEIJING, May 22–By the evening of May 21, 445 tons of disinfection medicine, 21,789 sprayers, 75,000 disposable protective suits, 155,520 protective masks, 10,000 protective glasses, 76,400 pairs of acid-proof gloves, 7,000 pairs of shoes, 50,000 packages of sulfamethoxazole and 50,000 doxycycline have been transported to Sichuan's disaster areas, according to CNS.

HK Firefighters withdraw from quake-hit areas BEIJING, May 22 - Rescuers from Hong Kong Fire Department withdrew from the quake-hit areas yesterday after excavating 24 dead bodies buried under a collapsed building,CNS reported. On May 21, a government representative of Sichuan Province awarded the Hong Kong Fire Department with a pennant to show their gratitude.

65 key national cultural relics damaged by the quake BEIJING, May 22 – By May 19, 65 of Sichuan Province's 128 key national heritage conservation centers were damaged to different degrees by the quake, and its 119 provincial-level heritage conservation centers were damaged as well, according to Nanfang Daily. "This is the greatest disaster to heritage since the founding of the People's Republic," said the deputy director of Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Affairs.

100,000 anti-virus masks transported to disaster-hit areas BEIJING, May 22 – The epidemic prevention work has become a tough mission in earthquake-stricken areas due to high temperatures. General Armament Department has urgently transported 100,000 anti-virus masks and disinfectants to ensure no major post-earthquake epidemics, according to PLA Daily.

Hubei allocates 5 removable bridges to Chengdu BEIJING, May 22 – Around 2:00 am on May 21, Hubei Province allocated five large-scale removable bridges to Chengdu, which will be used for rapid construction of roads. These removable bridges will arrive in Chengdu around 8 pm on May 22, according to Xinhua.

Water quality in Sichuan shows no significant changes BEIJING, May 22 – Water quality monitoring result of Sichuan Province released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection yesterday shows that, compared with the pre-earthquake period, water qualities of Sichuan and its neighboring provinces have undergone no significant changes, Chengdu Business News reported.

Over 300 foreign reporters enter into quake zone SICHUAN, May 21 -- Over 100 foreign news agencies have been given permission to deploy reporters in quake areas, staff at Sichuan foreign affairs office told reporters from China Press and Publishing Journal. As of Wednesday noon, over 300 press licenses have been released to reporters from various countries, including United States, Japan, United Kingdom, South Korea, France and Germany, according to China Press and Publishing Journal.

6 charter fligts arranged for transporting injured BEIJING, May 21 -- Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Wednesday arranged 6 charter fligts from Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines as well as United Eagle Airlines to transport injured people from Chengdu, Mianyan to Guangzhou and Liuzhou for further treatment, Xinhua reports.

CAAC: Emergency regulation lifted in Chengdu BEIJING, May 21 - According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China(CAAC), emergency regulation was lifted in Chengdu at 11:00 am on May 21 by the local regulatory department. The regulation goes back to the normal state and the two once temporarily closed international airlines are opened, according to CNR.CN.

Italy donates 2.5 mln euro to China BEIJING, May 21 - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Italy has provided 1.0 million euros of money and 1.5 million euros of disaster relief materials to China, according to Xinhuanet.com. Besides, some Italian medical workers have arrived at Chengdu to provide medical treatment.

U.S. supports China in earthquake relief efforts BEIJING, May 21 - Yesterday, the House of Representatives of the U.S. approved the resolution of supporting Chinese earthquake relief efforts, according to Xinhua News Agency. They expressed their sorrow to quake victims and determined to help China in the relief work.

Belgium provides China with 40 tons of relief materials BRUSSELS, May 20 - A total of 40 tons of disaster relief materials provided by the Belgian government will be transported to Chengdu, China, according to Xinhua. The materials include 400 tents, 4,000 blankets and some medical equipment.

Chengdu citizens sleep in the open in case of aftershocks WUHAN, May 21 - Students from Chengdu Institute of Technology and some Chengdu citizens slept in the open in the last two nights in case that aftershocks might happen, according to Wuhan Evening Newspaper. Fortunately there was no aftershock in Chengdu.

Relief materials from Jordan arrive in Chengdu BEIJING, May 21 -- The relief materials donated by Jordan arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, early Wednesday morning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, according to Xinhua.

Second Taiwan rescue team arrives in Sichuan BEIJING, May 20 - A 37-member medical team sent by the Taiwan Red Cross organization arrived in quake-stricken Sichuan Province Tuesday afternoon, according to Xinhua News.

Japanese medical team arrives in Chengdu Chengdu, May 20 -- A 23-member medical team from Japan for relief work arrived in Chengdu Tuesday night, Xinhua reports.

Rescue paratroopers to start new relief work BEIJING, May 20 -- The 15 paratroopers who risked their lives in landing in Mao County on May 14th went back to Chengdu in the afternoon of May 20th. They will start new quake relief work soon, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Giant pandas for Taiwan moved to safe shelter BEIJING, May 20 - Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, giant panda pair as presents to Taiwan in Wolong Nature Reserve, were relocated to safe shelter today, according to CNS. Another eight Olympic Pandas were also transported to Chengdu City yesterday, and are now in good state. After the earthquake, some pandas in Wolong were missing and search work is still going on. Up to now, seriously injured patients in Wolong have been transported to hospitals by helicopters, andtourists have been evacuated. Food, diesel oil and medicine, especially OTC are still in urgent need.

US increases aid to China BEIJING, May 20 - The US government dicided to offer one million dollar worth of material aid to quake-striken area in Sichuan Province. The US aid will be transferred by plane to Chengdu City, Sichuan Province on May 21 according to Xinhua News Agency. American government and enterprises had donated over 34 million dollar worth of aid to China for the earthquake.

Russian aircraft left Moscow for Chengdu Moscow, May 19 -- One aircraft for medical rescue provided by Russia left Moscow Monday night for Chengdu, Xinhua reports.

Last three trapped Taiwan tourists arrive in Chengdu safely BEIJING, May 19 - At 17:30 on May 19, the last three Taiwan tourists trapped in Wenchuan arrived in Chengdu safely, according to Ninhua Net. Upon knowing that 14 Taiwan tourists were trapped, the Taiwan Affairs Office, Sichuan Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Public Security sent a helicopter to rescue them, but failed due to the bad weather on May 17. On May 18, the helicopter was sent to rescue them again and took 11 of them back, according to Xinhua Net.

Repair work on Baoji-Chengdu railway No.109 tunnel progressed well BEIJING, May 19 - Wong Yongping, spokesman of the Ministry of Railways, said that repair work on Baoji-Chengdu railway No.109 tunnel progressed well. A total of 12 carriages have been pulled out, including 10 gasoline tankers and 2 carriages.

Quake-hit schools in need of tent Beijing, May 19 - Schools in the earthquake-hit areas are badly in need of tents for teaching and living, according to Xinhua News Agency. Now they are calling for help and donations. The Contact people are Xu Yong, Zhang Xin and Fu Peng; and the contact numbers are: (028)86661534, 86662851, 86657907, 80892161 　89952002, 80893510, 86661837 (Fax)

Earthquake causes damage to power grid Beijing, May 19 - The State Grid Corporation of China said that the recent earthquake has caused great damage to power grid in Sichuan Province, and the estimated asset loss is around 6.7 billion yuan, according to Xinhua News Agency. However, with the rush overall repair, most of the power grid is back to normal function.

2 more quake-trapped victims rescued Monday morning CHENGDU, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Two women who had been trapped beneath the rubbles following a powerful earthquake a week ago were saved alive on Monday.

12 special trains well-prepared for rescue BEIJING, May 19 -- Twelve air-conditioned trains to evacuate the sick and wounded victims were deployed by Chengdu Railway Bureau, according to Xinhua. Three of them are expected to arrive in the disaster-hit areas on May 19. One will set out at 11:00 am this morning from Mianyang to Chongqing.

Disasters of 34 coal mines in Sichuan kill 78 people BEIJING, May 19—The earthquake has caused 34 serious coal mine disasters in Sichuan Province. 78 miners were reported killed. Another 429 died in chemical plants or mines according to the Beijing News. As of May 16, 34 coal mines were seriously damaged. 123 miners were rescued. 78 people were killed and 289 people missing or trapped inside. Up to now, some miners are still trapped underground in 3 mines. Other coal mines are clear of victims.

Seven quake-hit areas resume basic communications BEIJING, May 18 — Up at 8:00 on May 17, 25,000 workers, 383 emergent communication vehicles, 713 satellite phones, 7422 power generators and over 2,000 sets of repairing equipments were mobilized for the regain of telecommunications in quake-stricken areas. 390 million relief messages were sent according to CNS. At present, communications in Wenchuan county, Lixian, Heishui and four other seriously affected towns in Sichuan Province have been restored.

122,252 injured people get treated in Sichuan BEIJING, May 18 — As at 8:00 pm on May 17, 122,252 people were treated in Sichuan disaster-hit areas. 36,000 medical workers and 17,682 ambulances participated in the rescue work, the Ministry of Health said yesterday. On May 17, 60 medical vans for disease prevention and control from Zhejiang, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Henan and Guizhou provinces arrived in Sichuan disaster-hit areas to implement health and epidemic prevention work.

Nuclear facilities confirmed safe in China's quake-hit regions BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The nuclear facilities in China's quake-hit regions were confirmed safe and controllable after careful scrutiny, government sources said here on Sunday.

No foreign tourists killed in Sichuan quake Beijing, May 18 -- Wang Zhi, deputy director general from National Tourism Bureau of China Sunday said on Sunday that till now no foreign tourists were reported killed during the deadly earthquake stuck in Sichuan Province on May 12, International Online News reports.

South Korean rescue team arrives in Chengdu City BEIJING, May 16 -- Fourty-seven well-equipped rescuers from South Korean arrived in Chengdu City in the evening of May 16, and are headding to Shifang City for rescue work, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Local government takes measures to properly settle earthquake orphans BEIJING, May 16—After the 7.8 magnitude earthquake happened, many domestic and foreign organizations and individuals expressed concerns about the children in quake-stricken areas. Ministry of Civil Affairs responded to these questions this morning according to MCA official website. For those who have lost their parents or temporarily lose connections of parents will be properly cared and placed by local governments. Rescue team will also do everything possible to find their parents and relatives. After the rebuilding of affected areas, the adoption of earthquake orphans will be implemented legally. Applicants who meet statutory conditions for the adoption can legally adopt earthquake orphans by then.

More than 20,000 stranded survivors rescued in quake-hit SW China BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- More than 20,000 stranded survivors were rescued in quake-hit Sichuan Province in southwest China by armed forces on Thursday. Meanwhile, the roads to the epicenter Wenchuan County and worst-hit Beichuan County had been cleared.

Chinese mainland welcomes earthquake rescue team from Taiwan BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese official said Thursday that the mainland welcomes an earthquake rescue team sent by the Red Cross organization of Taiwan to help with relief work in the quake-hit Sichuan Province.

Croatia donates 200,000 euros to Chinese earthquake victims BELGRADE, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Croatian government decided on Thursday to donate some 200,000 euros to the victims of the devastating earthquake in China The aid will be sent through the Croatian Red Cross, which has already started raising aid for the victims, the official Hina news agency reported. More than 50,000 people are feared dead in the earthquake that hit China's southwest Sichuan province on Monday, leaving more than 100,000 injured and the same number of people still buried in the rubble.

Ministry: Nearly 40,000 tents arrive at quake-hit areas BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 50,000 quilts and 37,700tents allocated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs have arrived at the southwest China quake zone as of 3 p.m. Thursday, with 32,200 tents going to Chengdu, in Sichuan Province. The ministry said it had allocated 127,580 tents, 220,000 quilts and 170,000 sets of quilted clothes, and the remainder is set to arrive by the end of Friday.

China punishes 17 disaster-relief disruptive rumormongers BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- China's public security departments have punished 17 rumormongers in the wake of the disastrous earthquake as of Thursday, according to the Ministry of Public Security here on Thursday. Public security bureaux in 11 provinces and municipalities including Hebei, Liaoning and Anhui, found more than 40 messages that circulated malicious rumors about the earthquake on the Internet and found 17 people were responsible. The Ministry failed to mention what exactly the rumors were, but claimed that these people "spread false information, made sensational statements and sapped public confidence." Among them, two were put in custody by local public security bureaux, a means of punishment that ranges from one to 15 days' detention, another two were asked to write apologies and another 13 were given warnings.

Total donations for the disaster areas rise up to 1.3 billion RMB BEIJING, May 16 (the Beijing news)--According to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, by 3 pm May, 15th, the total donations of all sectors of community have risen up to 1.344 billion RMB. Specific figures are shown on the following list: the Ministry of Civil Affairs raised 58 million yuan; China Red Cross Society raised 624 million yuan; China Charity raised 220 million yuan; Beijing, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu , Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Chongqing, Hunan, Qinghai and other provinces have donated 380 million to the earthquake-stricken Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu; corporates and community groups have donated 62.13 million yuan in total.

PLA dispatches 10,000 armies and 148 airplanes for disaster relief BEIJING, May 16 (the PLA Daily)--At 8:10 on May 15th, a large transport aircraft carrying the officers and privates of the second echelon Jinan Military Region, landed at the airport in Chengdu to support the southwest China's Sichuan earthquake relief. Lanzhou Military Region and its Red Army division dispatched more than 2100 solders to the most devastated Longnan County, Sichuan Province; After 12-hour night march, the second traffic team of Armed Police tramped 91 kilometers to reach the disaster area. The PLA and Armed Police has dispatched nearly 100,000 troops and 148 aircrafts to support earthquake relief. Up on the 16th morning, rescue troops have access to all 58 heavily hit towns of Sichuan Province, which marks the earthquake relief work is in full swing.

More than 1,412 overseas tourists confirmed safe in China's quake-hit regions BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- As of 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, 1,412 overseas tourists were confirmed safe in the quake-hit regions after a devastating earthquake rocked southwest China's Sichuan Province, official said here on Friday morning.

Premier Wen calls for nationwide efforts in rescue, relief after "most destructive" quake since 1949 CHENGDU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Rescue operation and disaster relief for victims in the worst earthquake over decades are of top priority of the nation, and thus require concerted efforts from the whole country, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday night. Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake that ravaged southwestern Sichuan Province and was felt in most parts of the country was the "most destructive" tremor and had the "most wide-spreading impact" since New China was founded in 1949, Wen said on a meeting of the rescue headquarters under the State Council headed by himself. It was even more powerful than the Tangshan earthquake in 1976,Wen said. The catastrophe in northern Hebei Province claimed about240,000 lives three decades ago. He hailed the efficiency and order the country has maintained for the past 80 hours as the country focused its resources on saving lives and disaster relief work for quake victims. He said the government will stick to its "people-first" policy in its future rescue operations and reconstruction works. "Saving lives is still our top priority, as long as hope of survival still exists," Wen said, urging that social stability to be maintained. He warned relevant authorities to pay special attention to the prevention of plagues. He said supplies of food, medicines, and tents must be ensured. More than 50,000 people are feared dead in Sichuan alone after Monday's earthquake, with confirmed death toll in the province hitting 19,509 by Thursday afternoon.

Taiwan chartered flight arrives in Sichuan with relief materials CHENGDU, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The chartered freight flight of the Taiwan-based China Airlines has arrived at Chengdu loaded with relief materials to quake-hit regions in Sichuan. It carried 110 tonnes of blankets, tents, clothes, first aid packets and other materials donated by Taiwan's charity institutions. The aid would go to the China Charity Federation and the Red Cross Society of China's Sichuan Branch. The mainland also welcomes an earthquake rescue team sent by the Red Cross organization of Taiwan to help with relief work, an official said. Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said Thursday his office and the Red Cross Society of the mainland would assist the rescuers from Taiwan in reaching the quake zone at an earliest time possible. "We understand the concerns of the Taiwan compatriots toward the quake victims," Chen said and thanked them for their generosity and help. Since the quake struck on Monday, people from all walks of life in Taiwan had donated money and materials to the affected people and expressed many times their willingness to send rescuers to the quake areas, he said. The Red Cross Society in Taiwan have pledged 300,000 U.S. dollars for the relief efforts, and Taiwan enterprises and individuals have also contributed more than 200 million yuan (28.6million U.S. dollars). "The moves reflected people's affection across the Taiwan Strait at a time of crisis," Chen said. The mainland side has been working hard to rescue the injured and stranded Taiwan tourists and business people since the quake hit, he said. He expressed grief over the death of two Taiwan compatriots during the disaster, and sent condolences to their families. At present, the majority of Taiwan tourists were safe, but one tourist group was still out of contact, he said. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday have killed more than 19,500 people.

Eight severe damaged towns of Sichuan regained communications BEIJING, May 16—the 8 most seriously damaged towns of Sichuan Province such as Wenchuan, Maoxian, Lixian, Beichuan and Mianzhu have regained the basic communications with the outside world by May15 according to Xinhua News Agency. Internal telecommunications of Wenchuan County are back to normal. The external telecommunications have been restored. Cable from Wenchuan to Lixian is opened and internet is accessible. According to the report, wired and wireless communications of quake-stricken areas are gradually being restored. By May15, 336 of 616 damaged cable stations have now resumed, 6523 of 16,507 damaged wireless base stations are working stably.

Japanese rescue professionals arrive in quake-hit SW China CHENGDU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A group of rescue professionals sent by the Japanese government arrived in Chengdu, capital of quake-ravaged southwest China's Sichuan Province, early Friday to assist the rescue work. The 31 rescuers will go to Guanzhuang Town of Qingchuan County, and another 29 Japanese rescue professionals are expected to arrive Friday afternoon. They were the first batch of foreign aid personnel since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Sichuan Province on Monday afternoon. The Chinese government has also accepted rescue aid offers from Russia, the Republic of Korea and Singapore, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang early Friday morning. Li Wenliang, counselor from the Foreign Ministry, said this is the first time for the Chinese government to accept foreign professionals for domestic disaster rescue and relief. Takashi Koizumi, head of the Japanese team, said the disaster in Qingchuan is very severe, and they have yet no idea about the structure of buildings there, but they are very confident about their task. According to Chinese officials accompanying the Japanese rescuers, more than 700 people of about 260 families were buried in ruins in Guanzhuang Town. About 1,500 people died and more than10,000 injured in Qingchuan County by 4 p.m. on Thursday.