CCTV News (News Network): As of 3 pm on January 7, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Dingri County, Shigatse City, Tibet has killed 95 people and injured 130 people. The Office of the State Council’s Earthquake Rescue Command and the Ministry of Emergency Management have raised the national earthquake emergency response to level 2, and various work such as personnel search and rescue, treatment of wounded personnel, resettlement of people, etc. have been carried out in accelerating manner.
The epicenter of this earthquake is located in Cuoguo Township, Dingri County. There are 3 townships (towns, streets) stations and 27 villages within 20 kilometers of the epicenter, with a population of about 6,900. After the earthquake, the Tibet Autonomous Region immediately sent a working group to the epicenter and set up a special team for personnel treatment, material support, and emergency repair to carry out disaster investigation, emergency response, personnel search, rescue, transfer and avoidance, and material collection and allocation.
The Western Theater Command quickly launched an emergency response and dispatched drones to the epicenter to investigate the disaster. This afternoon, the personnel from the forward command post took the Y-20 plane to the earthquake-stricken area to coordinate the earthquake relief work. The Tibet Military Region dispatched the first batch of 750 troops to the disaster area for rescue, and two helicopters launched an aerial survey of the disaster area. Three medical teams of the army rushed to the front line of disaster relief with relevant emergency medicines and medical devices. Nearly 600 officers and soldiers of the Tibet Corps of the Armed Police arrived at Changsu, Cuoguo and Quluo Townships, which were seriously affected, with rescue equipment. At noon this day, rescue officers and soldiers of the Dingri Squadron of the Armed Police rescued a buried crowd in Senga Village, Changsuo Township. After emergency rescue on the scene, they are now out of danger of their lives.
The local fire rescue forces rushed to the scene to rescue immediately, and five detachments from Chamdo, Linzhi, Shannan, Nagqu and Ali brought cross-regional reinforcements, including equipment, search and rescue dogs, etc. At present, more than 1,500 people from the national fire rescue team are conducting search and rescue in the epicenter.
The earthquake caused power interruption and road collapses in some areas. The Tibet Department of Transportation has formulated a rescue plan and arranged forces to make every effort to repair damaged transportation infrastructure. China Railway Qinghai-Tibet Group Co., Ltd. conducted a comprehensive investigation of railway lines, bridges, tunnels, etc. in relevant sections. As of now, the Latin-Japan Railway, which was temporarily suspended due to the earthquake, has resumed traffic. The State Grid immediately sent emergency rescue personnel and power maintenance vehicles to the scene and carried out emergency repairs for power. As of 1 p.m. today, power supply in Dingri County has resumed.
After the earthquake, the Office of the National Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief Committee, the Ministry of Emergency Management, together with the National Food and Material Reserve Bureau, urgently allocated 22,000 pieces of central disaster relief materials such as cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts, folding beds, and special disaster relief materials in high-altitude areas, as well as special disaster relief materials in high-altitude areas. The Chinese Red Cross Association urgently allocated a batch of disaster relief supplies and sent a working group. The National Health Commission urgently dispatched Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Sichuan University West China Hospital National Emergency Medical Rescue Team to the earthquake-stricken area.
On January 7, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management urgently allocated 100 million yuan of central natural disaster relief funds to coordinate the emergency rescue and rescue of the affected people, search and rescue and resettlement of disaster-stricken personnel, eliminate dangers and other emergency responses, secondary disaster hazard inspections and emergency rectification, and repair of overturned houses.
The National Development and Reform Commission urgently allocated 100 million yuan of central budget investment to support post-disaster emergency recovery in the earthquake-stricken areas in Tibet, focusing on the emergency restoration of infrastructure and public service facilities such as damaged roads, bridges, schools and hospitals in the disaster area, and promote the recovery of normal production and living order as soon as possible.
The China Meteorological Administration predicts that in the next three days, Dingri County will be mainly sunny, with a minimum temperature of -18℃ and a maximum temperature of 7℃. Disaster relief personnel should take measures to prevent cold and wind protection, and pay attention to safety when heating in emergency tents.
