Our Privacy Statement & Cookie Policy

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

I agree

Tibetans hit by M6.8 quake kept warm, reservoir risks stemmed, say officials

CGTN

 , Updated 11:05, 17-Jan-2025

Translating...

Content is automatically generated by Microsoft Azure Translator Text API. CGTN is not responsible for any of the translations.

A rescuer takes care of a child following a magnitude-6.8 earthquake in Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, on January 9, 2025. /CFP
A rescuer takes care of a child following a magnitude-6.8 earthquake in Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, on January 9, 2025. /CFP

A rescuer takes care of a child following a magnitude-6.8 earthquake in Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, on January 9, 2025. /CFP

A total of 5,152 makeshift homes have been set up to provide shelter to those affected by the magnitude-6.8 earthquake that jolted Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region last week, it was announced at a press briefing held by regional authorities on Thursday.

Currently, 13,000 makeshift board houses have been secured, with 6,135 delivered to the quake-hit zone and 5,152 units assembled. Officials say additional housing units are en route to the quake zone.

Keeping quake-affected individuals warm during the current resettlement stage is the top priority for the emergency management department of the autonomous region, said Wei Jun, deputy head of the department, at the press briefing.

On January 7, the magnitude-6.8 earthquake hit Dingri, home to the northern base camp of the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, claiming 126 lives. With a population of over 60,000, Dingri is one of the most populous border counties in Xizang. There are 27 villages and about 6,900 people within a 20-km radius of the epicenter.

The quake zone, situated at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters above sea level, is experiencing its coldest time of the year. Materials to combat the cold, including electric stoves, electric-heating blankets and cotton-padded apparels, have been delivered to quake-affected individuals in time, according to Wei.

Meanwhile, water conservancy authorities have inspected 14 reservoirs in the quake-stricken area, and identified localized cracks along with other risk signs at five of them. Three reservoirs have been drained of water, according to officials at the press briefing.

In the endangered La'ang Reservoir in Changsuo Township of Dingri, authorities are increasing the discharge flow to mitigate the risk of dam failure, according to Wei.

To safeguard the lives and property of affected residents, approximately 1,500 people from six villages downstream of the reservoir have been safely relocated to nine emergency shelters located at higher elevations, away from riverbanks.

In another development, rescue teams in the disaster area have recovered cash totaling about 6.96 million yuan (about $968,000).

Preliminary statistics indicated that as of Wednesday afternoon, donations from all sectors of society had totaled around 1.64 billion yuan, including 1.53 billion yuan in funds and 106 million yuan in goods.

According to the regional department of civil affairs, these contributions will be primarily used for the relocation and resettlement of affected communities and for ensuring basic living necessities.

The department has allocated over 6.63 million yuan in central government funding to Dingri County.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
Search Trends