China earthquake: School deaths caused by corruption

A senior Chinese education official has spoken of his shame and feelings of guilt for the deaths of thousands of children in poorly built schools in the Sichuan earthquake. He laid the blame squarely on corruption. “It’s morally lazy to blame nature for human tragedies. The children could have survived.”

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Chemical Danger in Quake-Hit China [slideshow]

Caustic smoke billows from a chemical reaction involving bleaching powder and disinfectant near a refugee camp in earthquake-hit Leigu in Beichuan county, Sichuan province [Reuters] [slideshow]

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China earthquake costs near $1 Billion for Telcom operators

Preliminary estimates from China’s telecoms operators has reported that the recent Sichuan earthquake has cost them RMB6.72 billion (US$960 million) – mainly due to infrastructure damage.

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Tangjiashan Barrier Lake

About 1,800 police officers and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers worked day and night for the past 6 days, now the preparation to dynamite the barrier of Tangjiashan lake is done. The drain of the swelling lake will start as soon as June 1st after all rescue workers evacuate the area.

Tent city in quake-hit area

pictures of tents in quake-hit area

Japan Withdraws Military Aid Offer to China

After a day of confusion about disaster relief plans, Japan said it had withdrawn an offer to send material to China by military aircraft and would dispatch it by civil planes.

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Updates May 30, 2008

• Death toll: 68,858 as of 8 a.m. Friday
• Injured: 365,399
• Still missing: 18,618
• 197,500 people have been moved to higher ground in the most imminent danger from any breach of the lake at Tangjiashan, one of the 34 quake-created barrier lakes.
• More than 1 million people may have to evacuate dozens of villages in a Sichuan province valley if an earthquake-spawned lake threatens to burst and flood the region, an emergency official warned Friday.

Police Woman in China Breast Feeds Helpless Babies

After the devastating earthquake in China, one police woman offers the ultimate act of service as she breast feeds babies affected by the devastation.

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China orders 1.3 million people to evacuate earthquake zone

Up to 1.3 million people in west China’s Sichuan Province have been ordered to evacuate to higher grounds for fear of a major “quake lake” burst as a result of flooding and strong aftershocks.

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Panda reserve mulls moving after quake damage

The world’s most famous panda reserve wants to find a new home after its current one was badly damaged by this month’s deadly earthquake in China. read more | digg story