Pu'er hit by 6.4-magnitude earthquake
The city of Pu'er in southern Yunnan is recovering from an earthquake yesterday that registered 6.4 on the Richter scale. Three people died, more than 300 were injured and 120,000 have been evacuated after their homes collapsed or suffered damage from the quake, according to a press release by the Red Cross Society of China.
In the quake's aftermath the Pu'er government allocated one million yuan for emergency relief. Additionally, Red Cross emergency supplies valued at half a million yuan are being transferred to affected areas by the headquarters of the Chinese Red Cross and its Yunnan branch.
Due to damage to over 70 mobile phone signal transmission towers, mobile telephone traffic in the area has been affected. The region's power grid has also been damaged and two reservoirs have reportedly cracked.
Tremors from Sunday's earthquake were reportedly felt as far away as Lincang (200 km from Pu'er) and Jinghong (300 km from Pu'er). Damage from the quake to unsturdy homes and buildings in Pu'er underscores the urgency of the Yunnan provincial government's plan to provide renovation subsidies for eligible homes in the province's rural areas.
To donate to the Red Cross in China, visit their contact page or their online donation page.
Image: Xinhua News
This article was posted by Chris and published June 4, 2007
Next article: Kunming in the Atlantic Monthly
Previous article: New highway brings Qujing closer to Kunming