China mourns hundreds killed in Qinghai province earthquake
China mourns loss of hundreds who died in Qinghai province earthquake last week
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Wednesday, 21, Apr 2010 09:35
By Sarah Garrod.
China is holding a day of national mourning to remember those lost in the Qinghai province earthquake that struck last week.
It is believed 2,064 have so far been killed by the devastating quake, as rescuers search in vain for any survivors a week on from the 6.9 magnitude tremor.
The earthquake, which hit the Tibetan plateau region of China last Wednesday, caused most of its damage at the epicentre in Yushu county and in the town of Jiegu. Today flags around the country flew at half mast and thousands stood for a two minute silence at 10:00 local time (03:00 BST).
As the country mourns, public entertainment, including some television channels, have been suspended nationwide, and there has been a 24-hour ban on online entertainment.
Aid agencies have warned of the desperate situation facing those in the worst hit areas, where tens of thousands of people are now homeless after the earthquake reduced their homes to rubble.
Earlier in the week, Aman Yee, deputy programme manager of the rural development and disaster management team of Oxfam Hong Kong, warned of the perilous situation facing local people: "People in remote areas are in urgent need of supplies according to the local government. Oxfam teams are providing blankets and other aid to 2,000 people in three of the outer lying towns. All are at high altitude.
"The sanitation is deteriorating in the temporary camp set up in the town of Jiegu. People have to defecate in the open, litter is piling up, and there is a real risk of disease. To help reduce the risk Oxfam will be helping with public hygiene information campaigns."
Local news reports claim at least 12,000 people have been injured in the quake.
The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama had requested to visit survivors in Qinghai province, where he was born, but had his request refused by the Chinese government - he has not been allowed to enter China since a failed Tibetan uprising took place more than 50 years ago.
However, the Buddhist leader released a statement in which he said: "I appeal to governments, international aid organisations and other agencies to extend whatever assistance they can to enable the families of those devastated by this tragedy to rebuild their lives."
Hopes of finding survivors among the rubble were raised on Monday when two people were pulled out alive, having spent five nights trapped in the bitter cold. A four-year-old girl and an elderly woman were rescued, while another story of a woman in her 30s being pulled alive from her home was also reported.