The People's Liberation Army (PLA), People's Armed Police Force, and reserve military have been sparing no efforts in searching and rescuing survivors after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning. Command personnel from the PLA Western Theater Command arrived at the Dingri Airport aboard the domestically developed Y-20 transport aircraft at around 17:00.
The Y-20, with a maximum takeoff weight of around 200 tonnes, is well-suited for transporting cargo and personnel over long distances.
The PLA's Xizang Military Comand dispatched three medical teams with 70 medics to the quake-hit county, carrying emergency medicines and medical equipment.
A total of 143 tents, 49 sets of heating equipment, 18 generators, and 227 folding beds have been allocated to ensure that survivors can spend the nights warmly. The People's Armed Police Force Xizang Contingent have deployed nearly 600 officers and soldiers to the worst-hit areas of Dingri for rescue. So far, the armed police officers have resettled more than 120 residents, freed 32 buried people, and provided medical treatment to 12 people. "We immediately started earthquake relief and rescue work after arriving at the epicenter. Now we have preliminarily completed the transfer of the affected people and the injured. For the next step, we will spare no effort in searching and rescuing survivors, and providing medical treatment to the injured people. We will set up tents, and ensure hot food supply and medical services, so that residents here can safely spend the first night after the earthquake on such a cold plateau," said Chen Li, a PLA officer.
The PLA's Xizang Military Comand has deployed a second batch of over 800 emergency rescuers. In addition, more than 2,200 professional rescuers like sappers and chemical defense soldiers are on standby to provide reinforcements.
Six helicopters are also on standby for the follow-up rescue.
The earthquake hit Dingri County in the city of Xigaze at 09:05 on Tuesday, with the epicenter located in Tsogo Township of Dingri. A total of 95 people had been confirmed dead and 130 others injured as of 15:00 Tuesday.
Chinese military, armed police rescuers rush to quake-hit areas in Xizang
The White House on Wednesday declined to set a deadline for the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, saying Iran is expected to present more details on its negotiating position within weeks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a daily briefing that "diplomacy is always his (President Donald Trump's) first option," and there are "many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran."
Leavitt declined to set a deadline for the talks between the two countries, saying that she is not going to "set deadlines on behalf of the president of the United States."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the talks showed some positive signs but key U.S. red lines remain unmet.
A Trump adviser said the White House is moving closer to possible military actions, estimating a "90 percent chance" of strikes within weeks if talks fail, U.S. online outlet Axios reported Tuesday.
Any U.S. operation could involve a large-scale, weeks-long campaign, potentially conducted jointly with Israel, targeting Iran's nuclear and missile programs and posing a major threat to Iran's leadership, said the report, quoting sources familiar with the matter.
The USNI News, a news service of the Naval Institute, reported on Tuesday that the USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts are crossing the Atlantic and heading for the Strait of Gibraltar, marking the second carrier strike group dispatched by the U.S. to the vicinity of Iran.
Earlier reports by U.S. media indicated that the Gerald R. Ford had been ordered to move from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Previously, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in early January and is now confirmed to be in the Arabian Sea off Oman.
Meanwhile, Israel is on heightened alert and assessing that a confrontation with Iran could begin "soon," state broadcaster Kan reported Wednesday, citing senior Israeli officials.
The report said Israel is maintaining a high level of readiness amid the possibility of a near-term U.S. strike on Iran, estimating that if launched, such an operation could develop into a weeks-long campaign.
Officials said Trump appears closer to launching a large-scale confrontation in the Middle East, and that Israel is preparing for a scenario in which fighting could break out "possibly within days."
Additionally, a pre-scheduled meeting of Israel's security cabinet was postponed from Thursday to Sunday, a government official said, amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and a U.S. military buildup in the region.
Iran and the United States concluded the second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday. The negotiations, held at Oman's embassy in the Swiss city, were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The first round of indirect talks took place in the Omani capital of Muscat on Feb. 6.
White House declines to set deadline for U.S.-Iran talks
White House declines to set deadline for U.S.-Iran talks
