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China - Earthquake Oct 1990 UNDRO Information Reports 1-2

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China
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UN DHA
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UNDRO 90/1666
CHINA - EARTHQUAKE IN GANSU PROVINCE
UNDRO INFORMATION REPORT NO. 1
25 OCTOBER 1990

1. AT 1607 HOURS, 20 OCTOBER 1990, AN EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 6.2 ON THE RICHTER SCALE STRUCK TIAN ZHU, JING TAI AND GU LANG COUNTRIES IN GANSU PROVINCE. BY 7 HOURS, 21 OCTOBER, 105 AFTERSHOCKS HAD OCCURRED, 6 OF WHICH REGISTERED GREATER THAN 3 ON THE RICHTER SCALE, THE STRONGEST REGISTERED 5.1.

2. ACCORDING TO INCOMPLETE STATISTICS, UP TO 0800 HOURS, 22 OCTOBER, MORE THAN 3,000 HOUSES COLLAPSED AND OVER 6,500 HOUSES WERE SERIOUSLY DAMAGED, MORE THAN 6,000 PEOPLE WERE LEFT HOMELESS, OVER 4,000 LIVESTOCK SHEDS AND 20,000 METER ENCLOSING WALLS COLLAPSED, ONE PERSON WAS KILLED AND 13 INJURED. HEAVY SNOW HAS FALLEN AND TEMPERATURE HAS DROPPED IN THE EARTHQUAKE AREAS, THE MASSES ARE LIVING IN THE OPEN AIR, THEIR LIVELIHOOD IN JEOPARDY. THE EARTHQUAKE HAS SUSPENDED TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS.

3. AFTER THE QUAKE, THE GOVERNMENT OF GANSU PROVINCE IMMEDIATELY CONVENED AN EMERGENCY MEETING TO DISCUSS THE RELIEF MEASURES. A TEAM COMPOSED OF DEPARTMENTS OF CIVIL AFFAIRS, FOOD, GOODS AND MATERIALS, HEADED BY VICE-GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE LEFT FOR THE DISASTER AREA TO INVESTIGATE THE DISASTER SITUATION AND ADDRESS THE PRESSING NEEDS OF THE VICTIMS.

4. SO FAR THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA HAS NOT REQUESTED UNDRO TO LAUNCH AN APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA 414242 DRO CH

DPR 310 CHA

UNDRO 90/1677

CHINA - EARTHQUAKE IN GANSU PROVINCE
UNDRO INFORMATION REPORT NO. 2
29 OCTOBER 1990

THE LOSSES FROM THE OCT. 20 EARTHQUAKE IN GANSU PROVINCE IS NOW GRADUALLY CLARIFIED. ACCORDING TO STATISTICS BY THE EVENING OF OCT. 22 THE DISASTER CAUSED THE COLLAPSE OF 15,431 ROOMS AND DAMAGED 20,014. 18,139 FARM ANIMAL SHEDS AND OVER 40,000 METERS OF ENCLOSING WALLS COLLAPSED. AS MANY AS 30,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. THE DISASTER KILLED ONE PERSON AND INJURED 16. 331 HEADS OF DROUGHT ANIMALS WERE EITHER KILLED OR INJURED.

SO FAR, PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT AND THE CIVIL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HAVE TRANSFERRED A NUMBER OF RELIEF GOODS AND MATERIALS TO THE DISASTER AREA, THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE HELPING THE VICTIMS TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES IN LIVELIHOOD AND FOOD.

ESSAAFI UNDRO GENEVA 28148