Tragedy In China

(As news of the tragic earthquake centered in Chengdu Sichuan continues to be reported worldwide, our correspondent, David reports back from Shanghai that a year of high expectations has left many people in China wondering when things will go right).

(Exclusive Shanghai)—So far, the year 2008 has been full of surprises and no small amount of concern and empathy for all the Chinese.
     It started with a happy vision of China hosting the Summer Olympic Games for the first time.
     But things have not happened as we expected.
     I imagine many Chinese now share the same feelings I have – that the year 2008 has sadly turned out to be painful and difficult.
     For a long time, the railways were thought to be the safest mode of transportation in China. Many could not even remember the last time a railway accident occurred.
     But on April 28, a breach of duty resulted in the loss of 72 lives with hundreds of passengers left injured.
     Many lost their belief in railway security.
     The EV71 virus, which has quickly infected thousands of children across several provinces of the country, recalls to many of us the memory of the SARS epidemic suffered in 2003.
     The SARS tragedy began at this same time of year.
     For years the government has repeatedly and loudly expressed concern for the economy overheating.
     Now, for the first time, the government says we should prepare for possible economic slowdown.
     In addition to everything else, the price of food, housing and other services is skyrocketing.
     The Chinese are slowly getting a different feeling about this year. It is a feeling that is counterintuitive to the way we once believed the year should progress.
     The number “8” has a pronunciation like the Chinese character “fa”, which means, “make good money and enjoy good luck.” Now with only 88 days left to the opening of the Beijing Olympics (88 days, which should be “doubly lucky”), comes the worst Chinese tragedy in thirty years.
     On May 12, an earthquake with a magnitude as high as 7.8M on the Richter scale erupted in Wenchuan County in the Sichuan Province of China.
     Although China is large, people in Beijing over 1,500 km away still felt the shake.
     In both Beijing and Shanghai (pictured left) there were many office buildings (including the one I work in) that were evacuated after the one-minute shake.
     Those who live a great distance from Wenchuan County might have, like me, only been a bit frightened by the tremor. I can only imagine how those nearer the earthquake epicenter have fared, those that have lost everything and those that have lost lives.
     According to reports from Xinhua Net, all highways into Wenchuan were damaged, resulting in delayed arrival of rescue troops and lack of detailed information about the situation of the city.
     In the neighboring cities in Beichuan County 80% of the buildings collapsed, and in the city of Shifang two chemical plants collapsed, leading to the leakage of some 80 tons of liquid ammonia and hundreds of people buried in the wreckage.
     In the city of Dujiangyan a whole school collapsed, burying 900 students, with 50 reported dead.
     The latest news released on May 13 says that the earthquake has caused nearly 10,000 deaths; however, that number might increase significantly as rescue workers go to work in the center of the earthquake area, Wenchuan County.
     China’s President Hu Jintao has said that the disaster response would be rapid. Just one hour after the earthquake, Premier Wen Jiabao flew to the earthquake area to direct the rescue work.
     I have no doubt of the efficiency of the Chinese government to undertake the rescue work, and I also believe that people in safe areas of China and outside of China are willing and ready to give their hands.
     I only wish for the second half of 2008 to be a better time for the Chinese people, a time full of peace and happiness. We extend all our prayers.
David. Edited by Flossie Arend.