Sichuan province

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Dam May Have Triggered China Quake

Weight of water may have triggered the earthquake early

(Newser) - The damming-up of 320 million tons of water in a reservoir above a geological fault line may have contributed to the earthquake that left 80,000 dead or missing last year in China’s Sichuan province, US and Chinese geologists say. Whether or not the scientists are right, the suggestion...

Quake-Bereft Chinese Sow New Baby Boom

Parents who lost state-mandated only child rush to conceive again

(Newser) - Some parents who lost their state-mandated only child in China’s May earthquake—which crushed at least 19,000 students under shoddy school buildings—are rushing to conceive again, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Chinese government announced an exemption from its one-child policy for such victims, and more than...

China Offers Chicken Soup for Pandas' Stressed Souls

Wuhan zoo's star attractions get boost ahead of winter

(Newser) - Even pandas need tender love and chicken soup: Chinese zoo officials have been feeding two 3-year-old cubs the hearty stock to reduce their stress. “Hope” and “Greatness” have been worn out by thousands of tourists clamoring for their attention in central Wuhan during China’s weeklong holiday. “...

China Admits Quake-Hit Schools Were Poorly Built

But government warns parents to silence criticism

(Newser) - A Chinese official admitted today that shoddy construction led to the collapse of some schools during last May’s earthquake, which killed thousands of children. “The structures were not necessarily reasonable and the materials were not necessarily strong enough,” the chairman of the government’s quake probe conceded,...

Deadly Quake Hits Southwest China
Deadly Quake Hits
Southwest China
Aug 31, 2008 6:51 AM CDT

Deadly Quake Hits Southwest China

22 killed in Sichuan, Yunnan Province

(Newser) - A 5.7 earthquake struck an area near Panzhihua City in southwest China yesterday, killing at least 22 people and destroying 1,000 homes in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, reports the Los Angeles Times. Rescue teams were racing to the area to help at least 126 injured. Heavy rains and...

China Pushes 'Hush Money' on Grieving Quake Parents

Pressured to stop questioning school toll

(Newser) - Officials in China's Sichuan province are buying the silence of parents who lost children in May's devastating earthquake, the New York Times reports. Grieving parents are being pressured to sign agreements accepting $9,000 in compensation if they stop asking questions about why so many schools collapsed. They are told...

Chinese School-Collapse Critic Busted as Spy

Activist detained after trying to help bereaved parents

(Newser) - An activist who tried to help bereaved Sichuan parents get answers about why so many schools collapsed in May's earthquake has been arrested, the New York Times reports. Huang Qi was taken away by plainclothes police after posting information about the parents on his website. He has been accused of...

China Quake Beat the Odds
 China Quake Beat the Odds 
Jun 30, 2008 4:06 PM CDT

China Quake Beat the Odds

Unusual seismic conditions led to disaster, scientists say

(Newser) - The earthquake that leveled parts of China’s Sichuan province last month was a geological oddity arising from usually inactive faults, LiveScience reports. The bizarre seismological coincidences behind the quake explain why no one was able to predict the event, which claimed 69,000 lives.

Breastfeeding Officer Sparks Debate in China

'Police mum' promoted for helping orphaned babies in quake

(Newser) - A policewoman has sparked debate in Beijing after breastfeeding nine orphaned babies during last month's earthquake, Reuters reports. Officials have promoted Jiang Xiaojuan, 30, calling her "hero and model police officer," but others argue that merit, not deeds, should lead to promotion. Xiaojuan left her baby at home...

Draining Quake Lake Floods China Town

Soldiers blast holes in dam; 'Now we can never go back,' says survivor

(Newser) - A town devastated by the Sichuan earthquake was flooded today as soldiers worked to drain a dangerous quake lake, reports Reuters. Water whooshed into Beichuan after explosives and missiles were used to blast holes in the dam created by the earthquake. Some 250,000 people downstream had already been evacuated.

5.3 Aftershock Shakes Sichuan

Survivors rattled again as quake lakes threaten to burst

(Newser) - Another strong aftershock has rattled China's quake-devastated Sichuan province amid increased concerns about lake floodwaters, reports AP. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries from the 5.3 tremblor, which came as authorities began evacuating people downstream from a lake formed by last month's quake. The water level...

Karma? Stone Banned From Shanghai Fest

Organizers still fuming over star's quake gaffe

(Newser) - Sharon Stone has been declared persona non grata at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival, reports the AP. Organizers said they will not be inviting the star, who attended last year, because of outrage over her recent comments suggesting the Sichuan earthquake was caused by bad "karma" linked to...

Quake-Rattled Pandas Get Hugs, Bamboo

Bears recovering with help from keepers

(Newser) - Zookeepers are helping pandas traumatized by the Sichuan earthquake get back to normal with hugs and games, the Guardian reports. Eight young pandas have been sent to Beijing Zoo and 47 more remain at the Wolong reserve, where the deputy chief said the animals' appetites are back to normal, but...

China Silences Media on School Collapses

Negative press is hurting shining reviews of relief effort

(Newser) - China has called on domestic media to quit reporting on widespread school collapses in the Sichuan earthquake, the Financial Times reports. Some parents hold the government accountable for poor construction they say claimed thousands of children’s lives, and the furor has hurt the positive reviews of China’s response...

China Ignored Scientists' Quake Warnings

Seismologists told of a major upcoming shake-up

(Newser) - Chinese officials ignored warnings from leading scientists of an upcoming earthquake in Sichuan Province, including one that almost pinpointed the date of the quake, the Times of London reports. Four seismologists predicted a blast of 6.7 or higher magnitude this year, while another suggested the rumble would occur within...

Stone 'So Sorry' About Quake Karma Crack

Star apologizes for infuriating Chinese after Dior cuts ads

(Newser) - Sharon Stone has apologized for remarks suggesting bad "karma" for China's treatment of Tibet could have caused the Sichuan earthquake, AP reports. The apology came in a statement released through fashion company Christian Dior, which has dropped Stone from its Chinese ads. Stone's remarks caused widespread fury in China,...

China Aftershocks Level 420K Homes

Area pummeled on Sunday hit with more strong tremors

(Newser) - More aftershocks rocked China today, destroying another 420,000 homes in battered Sichuan province, BBC reports. The aftershocks, including one that measured 5.7 magnitude, injured six people, although the majority of the homes were empty when the buildings were leveled. Eight people died when the same area was hit...

China Races to Clear Quake-Dammed Rivers

Rainy season threatens to compound damage

(Newser) - China is struggling to clear rivers and lakes dammed with earthquake debris before the impending rainy season worsens flooding, the AP reports. In Beichuan county, 1,800 soldiers arrived today, each bearing 22 pounds of explosives to blast obstructions impeding access to a nearby lake, and helicopters are airlifting heavy...

Poorly Built Schools Stood No Chance in Earthquake

Up to 10K kids died; parents blame gov't

(Newser) - As a massive earthquake shook Sichuan province, subpar construction turned many Chinese schoolrooms into the mass graves of as many as 10,000 children, the New York Times reports, and grieving parents are pointing fingers at Beijing. The government, aware of the problem, had issued warnings on school safety in...

70,000 Homes Collapse in New China Aftershock

69 reservoirs in 'immediate danger'

(Newser) - Quake-devastated China suffered yet another major setback today when it was rocked by the strongest aftershock since the May 12 earthquake, Bloomberg reports. At least one person was killed and 400 injured when a 5.8 magnitude quake toppled some 70,000 homes in Sichuan province, according to Reuters. The...

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