The earthquake that struck north China's Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region Saturday evening has killed at least
three people and left thousands of others homeless.
Bairin Left Banner (county) and Ar Horqin Banner, under the
administration of Chifeng in this region, were most seriously hit
by the quake that measured 5.9 on the Richter scale.
It struck at 6:58 pm on Saturday with the epicenter about 500
kilometers northeast of Beijing.
Neighboring Bairin Right Banner and Ongnuid Banner also reported
injuries and the collapse of homes.
The quake has also injured more than 1,000 others, including 54
people who have been seriously injured, a Ministry of Civil Affairs
official said yesterday.
More than 7,900 homes have been demolished and another 83,000
were damaged in the quake area. It also cut power and caused a
landslide.
The ministry has sent 5,000 tents to the disaster area. And
local civil affairs departments also sent 1,500 quilts and warm
clothing to the area.
A special team sent by the China Seismological Bureau arrived in
Chifeng yesterday morning to inspect the area and further assess
the damage, a bureau spokesman said.
Residents in some regions of Beijing, Tianjin and northeast
China's Liaoning Province also felt the earthquake.
It is the most serious earthquake that hit Chifeng city in 700
years.
The Chifeng Seismological Network reported over 70 aftershocks
with the most serious coming yesterday, which measured 4.7 on the
Richter scale.
The local meteorological department had forecast heavy rain for
Ar Horqin Banner last night.
Local government officials have been busy coordinating rescue
efforts, collecting further information and trying to put a figure
on the cost of losses. No estimate was available last night.
Seismological bureau officials have predicted there will be more
earthquakes in China this year compared to 2002.
The region around Beijing, including Hebei and Inner Mongolia,
is being closely monitored by seismological authorities.
More than 100 million yuan (US$12 million) was spent on
improving the monitoring network in the area from 1996 to 2000,
they said.
(China Daily August 18, 2003)