OCHA Situation Report No. 1
China: Earthquake
14 May 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

NOTE: This report is based on information received from the media as well 
as partners in China.

Situation

1. A 7.9 RS earthquake struck Wenchuan County, Aba Prefecture in Sichuan 
Province in China on 12 May at 14:28 hrs Beijing time. According to USGS 
(United States Geological Survey), the neighboring cities of Jiangyou 
(population:127,000); Tianpeng (60,000); Guangyuan (213,000); Mianyang 
(264,000); and the provincial capital, Chengdu (3,950,000) received 
extensive damage and continuous aftershocks.

2. Recent news reports (Xinhua News), which quote Sichuan Provincial 
authorities, indicate that the death toll is now at 12,000 with an 
additional 26,206 people injured and 9,400 people buried in debris. 
Communications with the earthquake-affected area have been cut off, 
including the town of Wenchuan (population: 100,000), which is 
approximately 30 km from the epicenter. In the city of Doujiangyan, 50 
students were reported dead and 900 students buried due to collapsed 
school buildings.

3. The same media source also reports a death toll breakdown as follows: 
161 in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture; 7,395 in Mianyang 
City; 2,648 in Deyang City; 959 in the provincial capital Chengdu; and 700 
in Guangyuan City. Other casualties were also reported in the areas of 
Ya'an, Ziyang, and the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. China 
meteorological sources have expressed fears of possible landslides and 
debris flows in affected areas if precipitation continues.

4. While information regarding the environmental consequences of the 
earthquake is thus far limited, the media has reported that two chemical 
factories in Shifang were destroyed, spilling 80 tons of toxic liquid 
ammonia, forcing 6,000 people to evacuate their homes. As Sichuan Province 
is one of China's most highly industrialized and densely populated areas, 
a vast array of agricultural and industrial activities could present a 
myriad of potential sources of environmental risks in the 
earthquake-affected area, in addition to risks to human life and health. 
Therefore, any actual or potential secondary risks should be assessed as 
soon as possible.

Needs

4. Extensive damage to physical infrastructure continues to hamper access 
by land to the affected area. Furthermore, heavy rains also constrain 
access by air. Information on affected populations and prevailing needs 
therefore remain difficult to obtain, but will become clearer once 
assessments take place.

Contacts

Ms. Yin Yin Nwe,
UNICEF Representative and Chair, UNDMT-China
E-mail: ynwe@unicef.org ,
Tel: +86-10-65-323-131,
Mobile: +86-13-801-009-447

Mr. Terje Skavdal,
Head of OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the
Pacific (ROAP)
E-mail: skavdal@un.org,
Tel: + 66 2288 2425,
Mobile: +66 81 916 1276

Mr. Rajan Gengaje,
Regional Disaster Response Advisor, OCHA ROAP
E-mail: gengaje@un.org,
Tel: + 66 2288 2572,
Mobile: +66 81 916 1271

This situation report, together with further
information on ongoing emergencies, is also
available on OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23

In case of emergency only:
Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:

(New York)Ms. Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu,
Chief, Asia and the Pacific Section,
Tel: +1 212 963 1773
Mobile: +1 917 476 6164
E-mail: asekenye-oonyu@un.org

Ms. Ah-Young Kim
Desk Officer, Asia and the Pacific Section
Tel: +1 212 963 5131
Mobile: +1 917 349 5109
E-mail: kima@un.org

(Geneva) Mr. Alfred Nabeta
Geographical Coordination and Monitoring
Section
Tel: +41 22 917 2732
Mobile: +79 445 3382
E-mail: nabeta@un.org

Press contact:

(Geneva) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel. +41 22 917 2653
E-mail: byrs@un.org

(New York) Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Tel. +1 917 367 5126
E-mail: bunker@un.org

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=1DCCB0C95E46E76B492574490009803A&file=Full_Report.pdf

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International              web: www.cidi.org
   Disaster Information          listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                               guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -