Thousands dead in Chinese quake

[Thor Henning]

A powerful earthquake has killed at least 8,500 people in China's south-western Sichuan province, up to 5,000 of them in just one county.

Many more are feared killed and injured in other parts of the country after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck at 1428 local time (0628 GMT).

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Thousands dead in Chinese quake

[Anna Tortuga]

oh no.

[u2girlie]

It's terrible. The last I heard there are 900 school children trapped beneath the rubble of their school. Terrible news. It has been a week of terrible natural disasters....cyclones, eruptions, tornadoes and an earthquake...

[BonnyW]

So horrible
I heard the stories of 800 children trapped under a collapsed building...so very sad.

[Skiptown]

It is sad but s**t happens all over the world and when is the last time China helped us when we had a bad incident? How much help have they been when we were in a bad catasrophe? We just had several bad weather related problems right here in our country and whcih country in the world said " we will help you". We as a country are not in the best of times ourselves and as I see it no one is lineing up to help us out. It is one world and all should help each other in times of need. I would even settle for a sincere "we wish we could help but can't right now". We are blessed to be a superpower country but we should not be taken for granted in our generousity.
This is just my take on this and I could be wrong.

[Joana]

Originally Posted by Skiptown

It is sad but s**t happens all over the world and when is the last time China helped us when we had a bad incident? How much help have they been when we were in a bad catasrophe? We just had several bad weather related problems right here in our country and whcih country in the world said " we will help you". We as a country are not in the best of times ourselves and as I see it no one is lineing up to help us out. It is one world and all should help each other in times of need. I would even settle for a sincere "we wish we could help but can't right now". We are blessed to be a superpower country but we should not be taken for granted in our generousity.
This is just my take on this and I could be wrong.

Not sure I saw anyone in this thread call out to the US to help?? Or did I miss something?

Neither do the latest articles say that China is asking for help. In THIS article, f.e., it says:

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said no aid requests had been made by China.

The government was pouring in troops to aid in the disaster recovery. Xinhua said 16,000 were in the area and 34,000 more were en route.

All this thread is about is the mere FACT that something like this happened- not who should help or shouldn't or whatnot.
Plus- I would be very surprised if China would ask for help. First of all they'll be trying to keep face and proove (esp. with the Olympics around the corner) that they can very well deal with this on their own. Second you seem to forget that this country easily matches the US in size and will most likely come up with it's own resources to deal with it. While it is a communist country with many tactics that we in the west might disapprove of it is still one of the worlds current superpowers.

I am so sorry that the outcome of this earthquake has changed so drastically since I heard of it on the radio first- on the radio they only expected a few hundred wounded and/or killed (bad enough) but this is devastating.
I hope those trapped will be rescued soon- and those alive will get help from whereever to soon continue a normal life after this.

[Just Lucky]

Just to clear up the idea that other countries don't help the US. After Katrina hit we received offers of aid from many countries. Some of the international aid came before US federal aid. For example Mexico sent a unit to help folks displaced by Katrina. Also China did this:

People's Republic of ChinaOn September 2, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will offer $5 million along with emergency supplies, including 1,000 tents, 600 generators, bed sheets, immediately for disaster relief. China also offered to send medical care and rescue workers if they were needed.[5] This aid package consisting of 104 tons of supplies later arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas.[6] A chartered plane carrying the supplies arrived on September 7.[7]

The following countries and organizations offered assistance to the US:

Quote:

• Afghanistan
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Canada
• Chile
• People's Republic of China
• Colombia
• Cuba
• the Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• the European Union
• Finland
• France
• Gabon
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• International Energy Agency
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• Iran
• Iraq
• Republic of Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kenya
• South Korea
• Kuwait
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Mexico
• Mongolia
• NATO
• Nepal
• the Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Organization of American States
• Oman
• OPEC
• Pakistan
• Paraguay
• Peru
• the Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan (Republic of China)
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Uganda
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United Nations
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• Venezuela
• World Health Organization

International response to Hurricane Katrina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[farmgirl]

This is so sad, living in a country that really has never had to deal with such tragedy of this magnitude I can't imagine. I hope they get the help they need. Keep in mind the people who are suffering don't make the choices for the gov't. Politics should stay out of things like this and the lives of human beings is what should be the concern.

[Thor Henning]

Originally Posted by farmgirl

This is so sad, living in a country that really has never had to deal with such tragedy of this magnitude I can't imagine. I hope they get the help they need. Keep in mind the people who are suffering don't make the choices for the gov't. Politics should stay out of things like this and the lives of human beings is what should be the concern.

I agree.

They have found 12.000 dead so far, and they fear 18.000 is buried in one city. This is only the beginning. It has been many after quakes.