[2:38 PM, May 12] The Emergency Headquarters issues two orders
At 2:38 PM, the Emergency Headquarters issued two orders: evacuate the masses and rescue kids; inspect the situation of this disaster.
Deputy town chief Ning Zuochang led six cadres immediately for Nanyue Village on the mountainside, where Nanyue Elementary School is located. Wang Jin gave the order: rescuing students at any cost.
The town chief Zhao Wugui immediately formed a commando unit composed of Party members and young people. They divided into six groups and rushed off to different villages to inspect the disaster situation and help the injured.
Four people including Li Jun were required to leave for the Dujiangyan City and report on the situation. Sadly, the messages they brought back were quite depressing: landslides had blocked the roads and they couldn't get out.
Deputy town chief Feng Cheng led female cadres to use megaphones to talk to the masses, eliminating panic and organizing them to evacuate to an open space outside the township. The crowds were advised neither to act individually nor to return home in attempts to rescue their property.
[2:43 PM, May 12] Collect food, rice and medicine
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Villager collects food from his house.
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Secretary Wang gave a series of orders that directed some people to be sent up the mountain to check on the power plant. If the earthquake had created problems for the power plant, the outcome could be quite terrible.
Reports came in indicating that the nearby water flow was becoming slower and slower. Headquarters worried that the mountain had shifted, so they sent several teams out to inform people to evacuate along this route.
No one had any idea how long contact would be lost with the outside world. Would relief supplies arrive soon? Another team was immediately sent to small shops and drug stores to collect food, rice and medicine. They were placed in a damaged bus in anticipation of the villagers' needs.
Deputy town chief Tian Dehu also led a team to transport food, tent cloth and medicine to Nanyue Village in order to assist students and villagers in putting up temporary tents.
Several cadres were ordered to protect important files and financial documents inside the township building.
[Evening, May 12] Town leaders, in three groups, patrol in the rain
6:00 PM, news arrived from people who had inspected the disaster situation: Nanyue Village, 11 people dead; Bayigou, 2; school, 2…
7:30 PM, it's raining. Young people were organized to collect firewood and make fires to keep warm.
10:00 PM, our first dinner after earthquake: only porridge.
After dinner, six town and village leaders divided into three groups and patrolled the resettlement areas every two hours. Our priority was to comfort and stabilize the masses.
The rain continued. We didn't sleep a wink all night long. Nor did we have any contact with the outer world.
[May 13] Four people get a mission impossible
5:00 AM, day break, still raining.
At 7:00 AM, Secretary Wang allocated new work. Nanyue Village was in a state of emergency. Food as well as three barrels of drinking water collected from little shops was immediately sent there.
The river water has turned yellowish green and is no longer drinkable. We have to conserve water and collect rainwater.
A group of four people led by Tian Dehu was sent again to tramp over the mountains and try to reach the city government. Before they left, I gave a cigarette to each person to acknowledge their risky task.
I finally found a radio. News came over the radio waves that the epicenter was at Yingxiu, just on the other side of the mountain, very near to Longchi. The radio broadcast the news continually that Premier Wen Jiabao had left for disaster areas by helicopter only two hours after the earthquake struck; he made important speeches.
I quickly reported the situation to town leaders, and conveyed this news to the masses. Everyone was greatly encouraged.