Xi Orders Urgent Rescue Efforts After Tibet Earthquake Kills 16, Injures 54

President Xi Jinping instructed rescuers to focus on searching for survivors and treating injured people after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed 16 and injured 54 in China’s Tibet autonomous region overnight.

The instruction was issued on Friday morning as rescuers raced to mountainous Baqing county, where 300 homes have collapsed. The earthquake struck on Thursday night.

Search and rescue efforts

Xi said all efforts needed to be focused on the search and rescue of survivors and the treatment of those injured. He also called for emergency rescue supplies to be allocated and for people affected by the disaster to be settled properly.

The response is being carried out in difficult conditions because the affected area is at high altitude and has cold weather, according to Xi. The weather in the region is minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit), with a small chance of snow.

Xi said, “The disaster-hit area is located in a high-altitude region with cold weather. It is imperative to closely monitor seismic activities and weather changes and implement rescue operations accordingly, while preventing secondary disasters,” according to state news agency Xinhua.

Monitoring aftershocks and damage

Premier Li Qiang instructed the emergency management ministry and the China Earthquake Administration to continue monitoring the region for any aftershocks.

Xi also directed that damaged infrastructure be repaired as soon as possible. The instructions cover search and rescue, medical treatment, emergency supplies, shelter for affected people, aftershock monitoring and repairs to infrastructure.

Source: South China Morning Post