Monday, May 12, 2008

rumors of more earthquakes coming

Rumors are spreading fast throughout the city that there will be another large earthquake this evening at 830pm ... this has not been confirmed by anyone in the scientific world.

from Shanghaiist:
"Intrigue. There were rumours of a "huge impending earthquake" but concerned villagers in the Matang Village of the Maerkang County were told by the Abeizhou Seismic Bureau that those were just rumours and everything "got back to normal quickly."

people are staying in the streets. the radios are keeping them updated on the traffic situation (still jammed on the way out) and asking them to remain calm and return home. There is no mention in the radio or on the tv about another earthquake on the way

More Updates for Chengdu Earthquake

The death toll is rising -- so far it is up to 107 and the schoolchildren in Dujiangyan are not completely accounted for. The countryside around Chengdu a=has taken a big hit, with houses in Leshan, Guanghan and Guanyuan collapsing. The damage will be most extensive north of Dujiangyan -- that area was also the site of Tibetan protests in March, so I doubt that many people will get up there to see what has happened.

Shanghaiist has great coverage of the earthquake -- including a video from Sichuan University that has played on CNN ...

chengdu earthquake gets worse

Dujiangyan has been hit with tragedy. 900 schoolchildren are believed to be buried under their schoolhouse when it collapsed. DJY is 56km north of chengdu, making it less than 50km from the epicenter.

updates on Chengdu earthquake

we just experienced another tremor at 710pm. the locals are trying to drive out of the city, but most of the roads out are jammed-packed with cars. Cars are parked near the highways west, south and north out of the city, but they are not moving due to the traffic jams. Many people have taken advantage of the situation to play cards and socialize in parks. Although there is still a nervous tension in the air, Chengdunese are trying to enjoy the surprise day off from work. The recent tremor sent people scattering a bit and conversation picked up, but the city is very calm.

Many groups are congregating around radios and listening to the news. The news is reminding people to stay outdoors for the time being, but to return home by nightfall. There is little or no damage in Chengdu, but the news is reporting the deaths in Chongqing. Chengdu, being a flat area in a basin, seems to have escaped being damaged. Nowhere within the 3rd ring road is any serious damage visible. Chongqing and Mianyang are mountainous areas and Chongqing in particular is a sprawling city with many slums and sub-standard buildings.




yo

for those confused about the time of my posts, i had it on pacific time.

shaky chach

its all good everybody. the buildings shook for about 5 minutes. there was an aftershock 20 mins later and all of the buildings withstood the damage. All the locals are out in the streets chillin on the curbs or sittin in circles. radios are letting people know that all is good. the quake's epicenter was 100km north of here in Wenchuan in the tibetan area of Aba -- it was felt all over asia, from beijing all the way down to bangkok ...

here are some pics. mad love





Sunday, May 11, 2008

earthquake hits the DU!

i was in the middle of a shave when an earthquake hit and the whole neighborhood spilled out onto the street. here is a pic of my mug. i will have more pics up soon i hope. i learned that standing in the doorway is a decent way to "survive" earthquakes ... the buildings are still shaking