On the afternoon of May 12, 2008, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Sichuan Province, a mountainous region in Western China. By the next day, the death toll stood at 12,000, with another 18,000 still missing. Over 15 million people live in the affected area, including almost 4 million in the city of Chengdu. Nearly 2,000 of the dead were students and teachers caught in schools that collapsed.
Even at today's date, 27th May 2008, strong aftershocks continue to hit the area causing even more damage and hindering relief services. The drama is still unfolding due to the millions of affected people in the area and the danger of disease outbreaks, flooding, and the logistics of supplying food, medicine and water rations to such a large number of people. A human catastrophy. |
