Rescue and relief efforts are in full swing in Baqen County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, following Thursday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
The earthquake struck at 22:33 on Thursday, leaving 16 people dead and 76 others injured as of Friday afternoon. The quake also damaged or destroyed 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds.
As of 20:30 Saturday, power supply had been fully restored in the affected area. By 15:00 Sunday, rescue personnel from the Xizang Military Command had completed search-and-rescue operations and safety checks in seven villages covering a total of 475 households in Maru Township, while also providing medical assistance.
The first 60 temporary container housing units were installed on Sunday in Maru Township, one of the areas severely affected by the earthquake. Residents began moving from tents into the units on Sunday afternoon. The remaining 180 units are expected to be ready by Monday morning.
Rescue personnel continue to provide hot food and drinking water for those affected by the disaster, ensuring their basic food and water needs are met.
Following the earthquake, houses across several townships sustained varying degrees of damage. Local housing and construction authorities immediately assembled emergency assessment teams to inspect, identify potential hazards, and affix labels indicating each structure's safety status, providing a crucial basis for subsequent repairs and reconstruction.
"All affected residents have now been relocated to tents, ensuring everyone has a safe place to stay. Container housing units are also gradually arriving at the various settlement sites. In the next phase, repair and reconstruction work will be carried out based on emergency assessments, with the goal of enabling residents to move into safe and secure homes as soon as possible," said Jiang Jiu, director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau of Baqing County.
Relief efforts in full swing in quake-hit county in Xizang
