OCHA Situation Report No. 2
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 neighbouring 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 continue to receive aftershocks thus forcing tens of 
thousands to spend the night outdoors.

2. Current media reports have placed the death toll at around 15,000 with 
over 25,000 people still buried under debris and rubble, and another 
14,000 people still missing. According to Xinhua News reports, an 
estimated total of 64,746 people were injured in Sichuan Province. Troops 
are reported to have reached the epicentre in Wenchuan County by 
parachute. Other small teams are reported to be trickling into the worst 
hit area north of the provincial capital of Chengdu. In the town of 
Yingxiu, Wenchuan County, only 2,300 of its 10,000 residents have been 
accounted for. Rescue efforts have been repeatedly disrupted since Monday 
due to heavy rains. The Meteorological Authority has forecasted more rain 
later in the week, which will potentially raise the risk of landslides.

3. Media reports stated that damaged railway tracks have caused a 40-car 
freight train carrying gasoline to derail and catch fire in Gansu 
province. The train burst into flames on Monday and was still burning on 
Tuesday evening, more than 26 hours after the accident. Fears that the 
tank cars could explode forced more than 900 local residents to be 
evacuated from the area.


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   7B919804278D298525744900763C8F&file=Full_Report.pdf

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