Medical support teams and essential relief supplies are being sent to the disaster-hit areas of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region following Tuesday's deadly quake, while financial support and donations are continuing to pour in from across the country to aid with the post-disaster work.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County of Xigaze on Tuesday morning, with at least 126 people confirmed to have lost their lives and 188 others injured, while over 3,600 homes have collapsed.
A team of 13 medical specialists from Shanghai, including neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and anesthesiologists, arrived in Lhasa, the capital of Xizang, on a rapid-response flight on Wednesday afternoon to provide critical care to those affected by the disaster. The flight also carried 7.5 tons of supplies, including cotton-padded clothing, quilts and jackets, helping relocated resident endure the freezing temperatures.
Li Xiantao, deputy director of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University of Shanghai, said their current priority is saving those in critical conditions.
"We will mainly focus on rescuing critically ill patients including those with brain injuries, severe ICU cases and patients requiring dialysis," he said.
Furthermore, Urumqi, capital city of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, raised 1.1 million yuan (more than 150,000 U.S. dollars) worth of medical supplies, including common medicines for treating viral colds and respiratory infections, to provide timely medical aid to the affected people.
To support the livelihoods of disaster-stricken residents, Qinghai Province in northwest China urgently allocated 1,000 mobile homes, 3,000 folding beds and 300 heaters.
These supplies were transported from the cities of Xining and Haidong to Dingri County. Qinghai also sent disaster damage assessment specialists to assist in the evaluation of earthquake losses.
Meanwhile, the Sichuan Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, along with other departments, dispatched over 90 geological surveyors to the disaster area for geological hazard assessments around the epicenter. Sichuan also organized multiple medical and emergency rescue teams to assist in the relief efforts.
The Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) made arrangements for earthquake relief, including emergency rescue, volunteer services, fundraising, psychological support and post-disaster reconstruction.
On Wednesday, the CYLC allocated 1 million yuan (more than 136,000 U.S. dollars) to its Xizang branch to support its grassroots organizations in their disaster relief efforts.
As of Wednesday evening, the CYLC had donated a total of 25.62 million yuan (nearly 3.5 million U.S. dollars) in funds and supplies to the earthquake-stricken areas.
Medical teams, essential supplies reach quake-hit Xizang to support post-disaster relief
Medical teams, essential supplies reach quake-hit Xizang to support post-disaster relief
