China allocates 50m yuan for Tibet earthquake relief after 7.0 magnitude quake
Central government allocates 50 million yuan for emergency rescue after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Tibet's Nagqu region, killing 16. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang order all-out rescue efforts.
The central government has allocated 50 million yuan (US$6.9 million) for emergency rescue and disaster relief in Tibet after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Baqen County area of Nagqu, state media reported. The earthquake, which occurred on Wednesday, has left 16 people dead and many others injured, with authorities safely evacuating more than 12,000 residents.
President Xi Jinping issued instructions calling for all-out search and rescue operations and the best possible treatment for the injured to minimise casualties. Premier Li Qiang also issued a directive urging relevant authorities to strengthen earthquake monitoring and forecasting, and to take strict disaster prevention and response measures.
The Ministry of Emergency Management raised the national earthquake emergency response from Level IV to Level III. Wang Kun, deputy commander of the State Council's earthquake relief headquarters and director of the China Earthquake Administration, led a team to the quake zone to guide and assist relief efforts. A Wing Loong drone was also dispatched to the disaster area for reconnaissance missions.
A CCTV reporter who arrived in the hardest-hit Maryu Township reported that many houses had collapsed, but that residents had already been relocated to safe areas.
Nearly 2,000 households in the Baqen County quake zone have had their power restored, and relief supplies have been gradually transported to the affected area, according to state media reports.