Critically-injured quake victims receive specialist emergency care in Lhasa

Three critically-injured victims of Tuesday's deadly earthquake in a remote county of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region have been transferred to a leading hospital in the regional capital Lhasa City, where a team of specialists have been working to deliver the best possible care.

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County in the city of Xigaze at 09:05 on Tuesday, causing at least 126 deaths and 188 injuries, while over 3,600 houses have collapsed.

Among the injured, three patients in critical conditions were transferred to the People's Hospital of Xizang. All three are elderly, with two suffering serious spinal injuries, as well as fractures and dislocations of the cervical vertebrae. Upon arrival, a multidisciplinary team of experts convened to assess the patients' conditions and formulate treatment plans.

"This critically-inured patient was transferred from quake-hit area with fractures and dislocation at the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. We gathered experts from various specialties, including respiratory, neurology, orthopedics, anesthesia, and imaging, as well as specialists from Peking University Health Science Center and Peking Union Medical College Hospital, to conduct an urgent consultation and evaluate the patient's condition to ensure the best possible outcome," said Kelsong Norbu, vice president of the hospital.

Currently, two of the patients have undergone surgery and are stable in the intensive care unit (ICU), while the third is receiving conservative treatment.

To manage the transfer and treatment of critically injured patients, the People's Hospital of Xizang has established emergency teams to assess patients prior to them reaching the hospital through setting up greater logistical support, and has taken steps to strengthen resources by ensuring sufficient emergency beds and activating a green channel to deliver rapid treatment.

Critically-injured quake victims receive specialist emergency care in Lhasa

Chinese research icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, is about to start oceanic survey mission on Thursday, after completing supply replenishment and personnel rotation at Lyttelton Port, New Zealand.

Xuelong 2 and cargo vessel Yong Sheng are on China's 41st Antarctic expedition. They arrived at China's Qinling Station in Antarctica on Dec 25, 2024 and carried out unloading operations.

After completing the unloading mission at Qinling Station and sailing more than 4,000 nautical miles, Xuelong 2 icebreaker arrived at Lyttelton Port in Christchurch, New Zealand, for mid-course replenishment. The replenishment mainly included vegetables, fruits and fuel.

"The South Island (in New Zealand) is the closest island to Antarctica, and Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island. For Antarctic scientific research, our Xuelong and Xuelong 2 would come here every year for supplies, making Christchurch a very important supply station for our Antarctic scientific research," said He Ying, Chinese Consul General in Christchurch.

While replenishing supplies, the Xuelong 2 icebreaker also rotated personnel and welcomed 30 ocean scientific research team members from China on board, who come from 17 units including the Ministry of Natural Resources, China Polar Research Center, some universities and scientific research institutes.

"According to this year's survey plan, we will make good use of February, the best season in the southern hemisphere to carry out marine ecosystem survey operations in the Amundsen Sea. The research will mainly focus on physical oceanography, marine chemistry, biology and geology. The observation will last for about a month," said Luo Guangfu, captain of the oceanic survey team of the 41st Chinese Antarctic Expedition.

China's icebreaker Xuelong-2 to start oceanic survey after Christchurch stop