China relief efforts turn to helping injured, homeless
More than 40,000 confirmed dead, 5 million homeless
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 | 7:48 AM ET
CBC News
A man looks out over collapsed houses in Shifang County, in southwest Sichuan province, on Tuesday. China says it is struggling to find shelter for many of the five million people whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake. (Greg Baker/Associated Press)As rescuers continue to find earthquake survivors trapped beneath the rubble in central China, relief efforts are turning toward helping the millions of people left homeless and injured.
A 60-year-old woman trapped in the city of Pengzhou in Sichuan province was freed Tuesday after spending more than eight days beneath a collapsed temple. She had suffered a hip fracture and facial bruises, but survived by drinking rainwater, said a report.
She was knocked unconscious for a day when a girder hit her head, China's state news agency Xinhua reported.
On Monday, a man was rescued after spending 179 hours trapped under the rubble of the Yingxiu Bay hydro power plant in Sichuan's Wenchuan County. Ma Yuanjiang, a 31-year-old power plant executive, was at a meeting when the 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck on May 12 and his office building collapsed around him, said Xinhua.
Rescuers spotted him Monday while working to free one of his colleagues, but it took them more than 30 hours to get Ma out. While rescuers worked, they kept Ma alive by sending him sugar-water to drink through a long straw.
Another person rescued at the plant could only be freed after having her legs amputated during a more than 50-hour battle to rescue her. Yu Jinhua was pulled out of the rubble Sunday at 6 p.m., and is recovering in hospital.
Stadium becomes refugee centre
The tales of survival came as the confirmed death toll from the disaster rose to 40,075, according to the State Council, China's cabinet. Officials have said the final number killed by the quake is expected to surpass 50,000.
Ma Yuanjiang is treated after being rescued from a collapsed power plant in Yingxiu on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Associated Press) Five million people lost their homes in the earthquake, said Jiang Li, vice-minister of civil affairs.
A day earlier, government officials issued an international appeal for tents. Nearly 280,000 tents have been shipped to the area and 700,000 more ordered, with factories working triple shifts to meet demand.
"Despite generous donations, the disaster is so great that victims still face a challenge in finding living accommodations," Jiang said.
In Mianyang, the city's Jiuzhou sports stadium has become a centre for survivors from the devastated town of Beichuan. As many as 20,000 people are living in the stadium, using thin blankets to sleep in hallway floors and a gymnasium, said New York Times reporter Edward Wong.
Wong said the refugees are being given bottled water and instant noodles and must share the facility's washrooms.
"They seem fairly resigned nothing will change anytime soon," said Wong.
Foreign medical teams arrive
While tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers are leading the rescue efforts — hunting for bodies and survivors and assisting victims — foreigners have also been moving into the earthquake-affected areas.
On Tuesday, a Russian medical team set up a mobile in Chengdu, while a medical team sent by Taiwan's Red Cross also arrived in the area, Xinhua said.
A Japanese medical team is expected to leave for China on Tuesday, while crews from Germany and Italy are also en route.
The government is encouraging rescuers to bury bodies quickly, in order to avoid the contamination of drinking water. DNA samples are being taken from corpses so they can be identified at a later date.
As the work continued Tuesday, China marked its second day in a three-day period of mourning. Flags are at half-mast, and entertainment events, including the Olympic torch relay, have been suspended.
Bush expresses condolences
On Tuesday, U.S. President George W. Bush expressed his sympathies for the people of China, writing almost a full page of remarks in a book of condolences at a small ceremony at the Chinese Embassy in Washington. Bush then took part in a moment of silence, his wife Laura Bush at his side.
"We have come to express our country's condolences for those who mourn for their loved ones," he said after the moment of silence ended.
"We stand ready to help in any way that the Chinese government would like. We know there's great courage being displayed, as rescue workers search for those who may still be living."
With files from the Associated Press
