A team of firefighters are conducting intensive search and rescue operations and large-scale surveys and assessments of the disaster site at the epicenter of a deadly earthquake that struck southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region Tuesday morning.
A total of 95 people had been confirmed dead and 130 others injured as of 15:00 Tuesday, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in the southern part of the region at 09:05.
The epicenter was monitored at 28.5 degrees north latitude and 87.45 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Center.
Multiple aftershocks have been recorded, with the strongest measuring 4.4 magnitude.
Mima Ciren, a professional technical officer of the Xigaze branch with the Xizang Forest Fire Brigade, offered an update on the brigade's response work in a self-filmed video.
"I am currently in Cuoguo Township, where a minor road clearing operation has been conducted. In Cuoguo Township's Jiding Village, we carried out a rescue operation at 12:40 for an individual who was trapped. At present, we are conducting large-scale surveys and assessments of the disaster site," the responder said.
The team will check approximately seven to eight villages to continue rescue operations and assess the property damage of affected residents.
"Our next priority is to visit each village, as the affected area is quite extensive. We aim to understand the disaster situation in each village and locate trapped individuals to provide preliminary reports for the larger rescue teams," Mima said.
Official data shows that Dingri County has a population of over 60,000 people, and approximately 6,900 people live within a 20-km radius of the epicenter. A preliminary survey revealed that more than 1,000 houses had sustained varying degrees of damage. Some of these houses have been reduced to rubble.
All-out efforts are underway to search and rescue survivors of the quake.
Some 22,000 disaster relief items, including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts and folding beds, together with special relief materials for high-altitude and frigid areas, have been dispatched by central authorities to the quake-hit region.
Rescue operations, assessments underway following deadly earthquake in Xizang
China saw a remarkable 25 percent surge in its cross-border express delivery volume in 2024, encompassing international services and deliveries to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions, as the country continued to expand its diverse cross-border logistics capabilities and international transportation capacity, according to data released by the State Post Bureau on Wednesday.
At the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in east China's Zhejiang Province, YTO Express, one of China's leading express firms, is poised to transport a cargo full of garment accessories and textiles to the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. The journey is expected to take just five hours aboard the company's cargo plane.
"In 2024, we have successfully operated over 20 domestic routes, extending our services to the Middle East and parts of Europe for the first time. Our flight networks now span across all of Asia and parts of Europe," said Li Yabin, manager of YTO Airlines' planning department.
Recent developments include the launch of a new all-cargo "Ezhou-Paris" route at Ezhou Huahu Airport in the city of Ezhou, central China's Hubei Province.
Operating initially with one weekly flight, the route is expected to generate over 30,000 tons of annual international cargo throughput for the airport, with plans to increase to five flights per week to primarily carry cross-border e-commerce goods.
Alongside the expansion of air routes, China has also accelerated the construction of international postal and courier transshipment centers, overseas ground networks, and overseas warehouses.
Several international distribution hubs, such as Liege in Belgium, have been put into operation, with the postal and courier industry now boasting a total of 297 overseas distribution centers and 333 overseas warehouses.
The data shows that in 2024, China has also opened 16 China-Europe freight train postal routes and 25 sea freight mail routes, establishing self-owned or affiliated service networks in 71 countries and regions.
"We will continue to strengthen the construction of international delivery networks, encouraging postal companies to invest in the development of specialized cargo hubs, comprehensive airports, and large-scale sorting centers for overseas parcels. Our goal is to further optimize the layout of international mail exchange points, enhance overseas warehouse construction, and expand the 'last mile' network abroad. We will also support express companies in collaborating with cross-border e-commerce and manufacturing enterprises to provide integrated logistics solutions," said Hou Yanbo, spokesman for the State Post Bureau.
China's cross-border express delivery volume surges by 25 pct in 2024
