AFTERSHOCK FEARS CONTINUE, 50 LAKH HOMELESS IN CHINA
Thousands of panic stricken people stayed out in the open overnight in the quake
ravaged Sichuan province after a government warning about a strong aftershock, as
China struggled to find shelters for some 50 lakh rendered homeless in the worst
natural calamity in three decades.
The stories of miraculous survivals meanwhile continued to pour in with rescue workers
pulling out a 31 year old man, who spent 179 hours under the rubble of a power plant.
Thousands of people spent the night in cars or slept in the open in Sichuan’s capital of
Chengdu after a warning on the provincial government website, quoting seismological
authorities.
It said that strong aftershock of 6 to 7 magnitude would strike the area battered by last
week’s 7.9 magnitude temblor.
Giant traffic jams developed as drivers headed towards the suburbs or the open spaces
like parks and stadiums. China has been hit by more than 150 aftershocks measuring 4
or higher, including one overnight that measured five.
The warning of the powerful aftershock also hit the stock market, contributing to a nearly
4.5 percent drop in share prices.
The confirmed death toll in Sichuan province alone rose to 39577, vice-governor Li
Chengyun told reporters. Another 32361 persons remained missing across the quake
zone.
The government was setting up temporary housing for quake victims, but there was a
desperate need for tents to accommodate them. Five million people lost their homes in
the quake.
-DR. NAVRAJ SINGH SANDHU, www.navraj@gmail.com