Nineteen victims of the devastating earthquake that jolted southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region had been sent to the People's Hospital of Xigaza for treatment as of 17:40 Beijing Time on Tuesday.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck at 09:05 on the day, killing at least 95 people and injuring 130 others. The epicenter was in Tsogo Township of Dingri County, administered by the city of Xigaze.
In response to the disaster, the People's Hospital of Xigaza immediately dispatched two medical teams to Dingri and the neighboring county, Lazi, for medical assistance. The teams comprise chief physicians specializing in orthopedics, thoracic surgery, and general surgery.
The hospital also set up a green channel for the earthquake victims and paired a doctor and a volunteer to oversee the entire medical check-up process.
In addition, the hospital vacated 90 beds as well as its ICU room and emergency room to support the ongoing treatment efforts.
19 victims of Xizang earthquake sent to hospital for treatment
China's railway network is expected to manage more than 510 million passenger trips during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, according to an official on Wednesday.
At a press conference in Beijing, officials from several departments briefed the overall situation and work arrangement of the 40-day travel rush, which runs from Jan. 14 to Feb. 22 this year.
The travel rush, also known as "Chunyun", is a period of high transportation demand coinciding with China's largest annual holiday, the Spring Festival, a time where many people head home for family reunions while celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan 29 this year.
Zhu Wenzhong, deputy director of China State Railway Group's passenger transport department, said that the number of passengers by train will grow steadily, and is expected to exceed 510 million, with an average of 12.75 million per day, an increase of 5.5 percent from 2024.
The railway system is going to tap on the transportation potential and maximize passenger transportation capacity.
"We will focus on increasing the transport capacity in places with concentrated passenger flows during the Spring Festival travel rush, make overall arrangements for trains in less busier sections, maintain the scale of trains running at normal speeds, as well as continue opening non-profit 'slow trains' and those for rural revitalization, so as to facilitate people's travel. More than 14,000 passenger trains will be arranged daily, with the addition of around 500,000 seats every day. The seating capacity can increase by about four percent year on year, so as to meet the traveling needs of passengers to the best of our capacity," said Zhu.
The railway departments will take measures to ensure the ticketing needs of passengers, especially key groups such as university students and migrant workers. Main railway stations across the country will set up fast lanes, mother-and-baby waiting rooms and medical aid posts.
Moreover, the authorities will also prioritize the transportation of coal used for power generation and heating, along with key supplies like daily necessities, grains and other farm produce, as well as fertilizers.
Inspection and maintenance on key rail equipment have also been conducted in advance, so as to ensure the orderly and smooth railway operation during the Spring Festival travel rush.
China’s railway to handle 510 million passenger trips in 2025 Spring Festival travel rush
