At least 100 people were injured, three of them seriously,
during an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale that
rattled a sparsely populated central-eastern part of the Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region early on Wednesday.
Cracks could be clearly seen in many houses.
Hundreds of school or hospital buildings at the epicenter and
surrounding areas were seriously damaged, but no deaths were
reported as of late Thursday, according to an unnamed official with
the Inner Mongolian disaster-relief department.
Soldiers are helping to deliver relief goods and medical
supplies to the nine hardest-hit villages and towns.
More than 2,500 personnel from the local reserve forces are
working with the soldiers stationed nearby to help the quake
victims.
Some 40 percent of the residences in and around the epicenter
suffered damage, according to reports reaching Beijing
Thursday.
The local government has reportedly allocated 660,000 yuan
(US$79,500) for rescue and relief operations.
The epicenter is in a vast pastureland area with a population of
140,000. Most of the homes there are brick-and-wood sheds, said
sources with the China Seismological Bureau.
“By Thursday, 15 aftershocks measuring up to 3.5 on the Richter
scale were monitored following the major shock - the strongest of
its type this year in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region.
Experts are tracking the situation, investigating and verifying the
damage the quake caused,” said Zeng Guoping, an official with Inner
Mongolia’s regional seismological bureau. “We should have basic
reports on the situation in the next day or so.”
Experts say that it is unlikely that another quake measuring
over 5.5 will hit the area within 24 hours, although quakes of 5.0
or below are possible.
But Zeng points out, “That is only an internal prediction made
by a few experts.” He says that no one can deny a strong aftershock
could occur in the days ahead.
(China Daily March 26, 2004)