Nearly 10,000 reported killed by China quake

[Villavic]

I can't believe there is not thread in the Ledge about this tragedy yet.

An expert told CNN the 7.9-magnitude quake at about 2:45 p.m. Monday was the largest the region has seen "for over a generation."

Residents as far as Chongqing -- about 200 miles from the epicenter in Sichuan Province -- spent the night outdoors, too afraid of aftershocks to sleep indoors

"I have seen many collapsed civilian houses, and the rocks dropped from mountains on the roadside are everywhere," the head of the unit, Li Zaiyuan, told Xinhua.

Added CNN Correspondent John Vause: "The roads here are terrible in the best of times ... right now they're down right atrocious. They've resorted to going in one man at a time on foot."

Nearly all the confirmed deaths were in Sichuan Province, but rescuers were hindered because roads linking it to the provincial capital, Chengdu, were damaged, Xinhua reported.

Local radio quoted disaster relief officials as saying a third of the buildings in Wenchuan collapsed from the quake and another third were seriously damaged.

The earthquake was powerful enough to be felt throughout most of China (and even Bangkok). Many children were buried under the rubble of their schools.

The Chinese government said the death toll was sure to rise.

[David]

China has had perhaps the largest number of casualties of earthquakes of any country on Earth.

The numbers are a real eye-opener. The U.S.G.S. list of significant earthquakes & casualties in China's history tells a chilling story, over & over, through the centuries.

See http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/...ntry.php#china

The Tangshan quake of 1976 left 255,000 dead officially (more accurate numbers are hard to get from the Chinese government). However, the unofficial estimated death toll from this quake is about 650,000. This is by far the highest number of fatalities from a single earthquake of the 20th century.

And going way back to the year 1556, when an approximate magnitude 8 quake struck Shensi, it's quite possible that more than ONE MILLION people died.

Incidentally, today's quake in China -- a magnitude 7.9 -- was the size of the largest quake ever recorded in the continental United States (Fort Tejon quake in 1857). It's about as big as a quake can be anywhere on dry land. Larger quakes (so-called "great quakes") require much longer faults, & the longer faults are found only in the world's subduction zones, virtually all of which lie under the ocean.

Seismologists say, "Earthquakes don't kill people; buildings kill people." It sounds like a pat little phrase, but it's true. My guess is the vast majority of today's casualties in China are from falling stones & bricks in unreinforced buildings.

[JWS]

What a tragedy. I live in Los Angeles so know about earthquakes. How is it that when a major quake strikes here the deaths number in hundreds...it happens in China and 10,000 are killed?

[David]

Originally Posted by JWS

What a tragedy. I live in Los Angeles so know about earthquakes. How is it that when a major quake strikes here the deaths number in hundreds...it happens in China and 10,000 are killed?

Thanks to quake building codes, our infrastructure is generally a lot more quake-resistant. Plus, there may be important differences in site response (the characteristics of rock & groundsoil on which societies build their infrastructure), population areas (our big populations cluster at the coast, & the longest fault zone in the state runs well inland for most of its length), & frequency of large quakes (magnitude 7+).

[gretchen]

This such a tragedy...the sheer loss of human life is staggering, just as it is in Myanmar (Burma).

[David]

Originally Posted by gretchen

This such a tragedy...the sheer loss of human life is staggering, just as it is in Myanmar (Burma).

It's doubly tragic because the loss of life is amplified tenfold by the corruption & incompetence of these governments.

There's no good reason why the Myanmar government couldn't have allerted its people DAYS in advance of an approaching typhoon (a hurricane), & even a Third World country should have decent enough roads & infrastructure to allow people to move inland. Typhoons & hurricanes weaken as they move inland.

As for China, it's well past high time for an empire with such vast resources (even if those resources are mostly centrally controlled) & such frequent seismicity to start building up to code.

The thinking must be, chillingly: "With a billion people, what's a few tens of thousands?"

In short, these are government disasters as much as, if not more so than, natural disasters.

[gretchen]

Originally Posted by David

It's doubly tragic because the loss of life is amplified tenfold by the corruption & incompetence of these governments.

There's no good reason why the Myanmar government couldn't have allerted its people DAYS in advance of an approaching typhoon (a hurricane), & even a Third World country should have decent enough roads & infrastructure to allow people to move inland. Typhoons & hurricanes weaken as they move inland.

As for China, it's well past high time for an empire with such vast resources (even if those resources are mostly centrally controlled) & such frequent seismicity to start building up to code.

The thinking must be, chillingly: "With a billion people, what's a few tens of thousands?"

In short, these are government disasters as much as, if not more so than, natural disasters.

Well said.

[Stew_Matthews]

Until January, I had spend 5/6 years working for a state owned Chinese company. I have been based in China for some of that time and have a lot of Chinese friends (both there and in the Chinese community here in Chicago). I have been ringing 'round the people I know to make sure they are safe. It is a terrible tragedy but, as noted, so was Burma, the frequent disasters in Bangladesh and the dreadful state of Somalia.

Originally Posted by David

As for China, it's well past high time for an empire with such vast resources (even if those resources are mostly centrally controlled) & such frequent seismicity to start building up to code.

The thinking must be, chillingly: "With a billion people, what's a few tens of thousands?"

A touch unfair David and you aren't usually when you're being serious. As a civil engineer, I'm building in Cleveland and Chicago at present. The US building (construction) regulations and quality control of construction materials are inferior to those currently in place in China. That's a fact.

I agree that the way in which the Chinese population exploded in the 60s/70s and early 80s led to unregulated building. This building stock will always present a risk and it will take some time to replace it. In major cities such as Shanghai, in my opinion the most stunning in China, much of the inferior buildings have been demolished. But despite China's vast resources it will take some time to complete the job. As you will be aware China is having to spend it's money abroad - god knows how much of the US it owns now, to try and control its economy. As a man who understands economics, you will know why this is the case, even if it isn't desireable.

I have posted lots of Chinese pics before but here is one from the area that had the disaster.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by JWS

...it happens in China and 10,000 are killed?

Almost 12,000, BBC says.

And about Myanmar, I agree about incompetence of governments. I don't know why they have in mind! Well actually I don't know much about that country. But I have friends in Malaysia and Singapore, they have been in Myanmar and they told me it's a very isolated, "primitive" country. Communications are very restricted. Not easy to find internet,etc. Well that was few years ago. I think it's the same now.

[JWS]

Originally Posted by David

It's doubly tragic because the loss of life is amplified tenfold by the corruption & incompetence of these governments.

There's no good reason why the Myanmar government couldn't have allerted its people DAYS in advance of an approaching typhoon (a hurricane), & even a Third World country should have decent enough roads & infrastructure to allow people to move inland. Typhoons & hurricanes weaken as they move inland.

As for China, it's well past high time for an empire with such vast resources (even if those resources are mostly centrally controlled) & such frequent seismicity to start building up to code.

The thinking must be, chillingly: "With a billion people, what's a few tens of thousands?"
In short, these are government disasters as much as, if not more so than, natural disasters.

I remember Mao once making a similar statement regarding nuclear war only it was "what's a few million"

[Phoenix]

that. is. terrible.