Communication service resumes in epicentral area of Xizang quake

Communication services have resumed in quake-hit Dingri County of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region Wednesday following an overnight repair amid intensive rescue operations as essential relief supplies continue to pour in.

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County in the city of Xigaze at 09:05 on Tuesday, with the epicenter located in the county's Tsogo Township, killing 126 people and injuring 188 others.

The deadly earthquake also damaged 35 base stations operated by China Telecom. At around 02:30 Wednesday, the transmission cables of the last damaged base station were reconnected. Seven damaged sections of three national and provincial expressways had been repaired and opened to traffic as of 06:00 Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Transport. Meanwhile, rural roads that were damaged to varying degrees have also been restored, allowing emergency rescue and construction vehicles to pass normally.

While rescuers searched for the victims, removed potential risks, and transferred local residents to safety, food, warm clothing and other relief supplies are also continuously sent to Dingri County to ensure the basic needs of people in the disaster areas.

"Upon arrival, we found the situation in the disaster area is relatively serious. Following orders from higher authorities, we were divided into groups to transfer villagers' livestock and important property. However, there are still aftershocks. We have evacuated locals to safety and are still conducting rescue operations," said a rescuer.

"My house collapsed. No one was injured except for the livestock. Thanks to the soldiers who helped us," said a villager of Jiding Village, Tsogo Township.

A total of 646 aftershocks have been detected as of Wednesday noon, with the strongest measuring 4.4 magnitude.

Communication service resumes in epicentral area of Xizang quake

Starting from Jan 1, "Beijing Service," a service platform backed by the Beijing municipal government, extended its coverage to the city's two international airports, setting up 24-hour kiosks to facilitate visitors from abroad.

On the first day of 2025, two Beijing Service kiosks near the international arrivals areas of Beijing's Capital International Airport and Daxing International Airport were put into use, with well-trained staff providing 24-hour multilingual services for global travelers.

"This year we have set up service stations in Beijing's Capital International Airport and Daxing International Airport to provide travelers with one-stop services including payment setup, mobile phone services, and transport and tourism consultation, covering four categories of more than 20 convenient services. The services aim to further facilitate foreigners to study, travel, or live in Beijing, and to upgrade the level of Beijing's international services," said Zhang Li, division chief of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services and Data Management.

The move came after the city's recent poll with international visitors on what could be done to improve their experience in China, aiming to better support the surging global visitors brought by the country's visa-free policies.

The Beijing Service platform can now provide a one-stop solution to newcomers, and address most of the common concerns of foreign travelers.

"So far, I haven't had any problems, and it seems quite straightforward and it's easy to follow the instructions, everyone gives clear instructions, so it's quite easy to follow. So far everyone I have talked to is able to give feedback (on) what I needed, so it's been good," said Rahima Siddiqui, a traveler from New Zealand.

Beijing Service platform offers one-stop solutions to int'l visitors