Satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been deployed to aid rescue and damage assessment following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that jolted a county in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday night.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said on Friday that immediately after the disaster, it coordinated and deployed satellite resources to conduct emergency communication support and imaging of the quake-hit area.
The company said it has activated multiple high-throughput satellite internet emergency service lines for the Ministry of Emergency Management, local emergency management authorities, and major telecom operators. Additional service line terminals are on their way to the quake-hit area.
In response to satellite imaging requests for quake relief, the CASC immediately mobilized Gaofen-4 and other satellites to observe the quake-hit area. As of 07:00 (Beijing Time) Friday, it had delivered four pre-disaster images and three post-disaster images, providing strong support for rescue and relief operations and disaster assessment.
Based on current preliminary assessments, the risk of large-scale geological disasters such as collapses and landslides across the affected area is relatively low. However, caution is still advised regarding the potential secondary disasters, particularly along steep slopes and roadsides.
"In areas around the epicenter where the slopes are relatively steep and there are villages below, there are still risks of small-scale collapses, landslides or rockfalls, which might block rescue routes. We will continue to interpret and assess the post-quake collapses, landslides and mud-rock flows," said Tu Jienan, a senior engineer of the China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, a Beijing-based professional research and survey institution under the Ministry of Natural Resources.
According to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a UAV Wing Loong took off from an airport in Xigaze of Xizang in the early hours of Friday and flew to the quake-hit area to carry out disaster observation and communication support missions.
The AVIC said other Wing Loong teams are ready for action.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force also sent a UAV to the quake-hit area for disaster survey.
To date, surveys have been conducted in 14 villages in the disaster area, identifying 33 instances of damage involving collapsed houses. Drones continue to conduct aerial surveys, providing dynamic monitoring of the disaster.
Sixteen people were killed and 76 others injured after the earthquake struck Baqen County of Naqu City in Xizang Autonomous Region at 22:33 Thursday, local authorities said on Friday.
Satellites, UAVs deployed for Xizang quake relief
