The Striking 72 Hours

The following text records the striking 72 hours after the great earth quake in Eastern Sichuan, China.


12 May, 2008

14:28 pm (Beijing time, 7:28am GMT time)

Magnitude 7.8 great earthquake centred in Wenchuan Country, Sichuan occurred.16 provinces, autonomous regions and major cities were affected across the country, including Sichuan, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hennan, Guizhou, Tibet, Beijing and Shanghai.

14:54 pm (Beijing time, 7:28am GMT time)

Chinese givernment confirmed that the magnitude of the earth quake was 7.8 at Wenchuan.

15:00 pm

Local armies and police forces started organised rescue in the quake centre in Wenchuan.

16:40 pm
Premier Wen Jiabao flied from Beijing to Sichuan.


18:49 pm
Over 6,000 soldiers and police force departed for rescue in Wenchuan.

Later 2,000 more police force depart for the quake centre from Chengdu and Maerkang. They were blocked by damaged traffic in Dujiangyan and started rescuing there.

19:40 pm
China Red Cross applied emergency plan and prepared emergency goods worth about £5,600 for the disaster stricken area
20:00 pm
Premier Wen Jiabao arrived Dujiangyan.

22:00 pm
Premier Wen Jiabao visited the worst stricken areas in Dujianyan – Chinese Hospital and Juyuan County Middle School.

22:15 pm and after
China is under red disaster alert. The government transferred over £14,000,000 emergency fund to Sichuan. 2000 more firemen and special police force joined the rescue team.

23:45 pm
Wen Jiabao chaired a national rescue conference in a temporary tent in Dujiangyan and emphasized the core of the rescue is to save lives.

About 4,000 Sichuan police force moved to the quake centre.



13 May

2:00 am
1,100 firemen travelled to Sichuan for rescue.

3:25 am
13,000 policemen in total were fighting in the disaster affected areas.

4:30 am
Soldiers from Shangdong (Northern China) departed for Wenchuan.

6:30 am
16,000 local soldiers and policemen in total were fighting in the quake stricken area.

7:00 am
The 2cd rescue management conference was held by Premier Wen Jiabao. The rescue army were aiming at completing clearing the road to the quake centre by 0:00am 14 May.

8:00 am
Official statistics of deaths caused by the quake were reported 9219. More than 500,000 houses collapsed.

9:00 am
10,000 soldiers from northern China were sent to Sichuan by air other than train.

10:00 am
China Red Cross called for donations.

11:00 am
After visited a primary school, Premier Wen Jiabao Departed for Deyang for another management conference and then drove to a worst stricken area to visit refugees.

13:00 pm
The ministry medical team and 1,300 soldiers from Chengdu arrived one worst stricken town in Duiiangyan – Yinxiu town and started rescue.

16:00 pm
Premier Wen Jiabao visited refugees in Mianyang city.

21:00 pm
More than 50,000 soldiers and policemen were involved in rescue and some troops have arrived the quake centre.


14 May

0:00am
5,000 fire policemen from different cities joined rescue and departed for Sichuan.

10:00 am
Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Beichuan - one worst affected quake centre and claimed that 1,000,000 soldiers and policemen were sent to Sichuan for rescue by then.

15:30 pm
Premier Wen Jiabao Arrived in the quake centre Wenchuan to investigate the damage and visit refugees and rescuers.
16:00 pm
Official Report of damange:
Death 14,463
Buried 25,788
Disappear 1,405
Injured 64,746
Rescued 60,000+
20:00 pm
Food and water arrived in Yinxiu town, Wenchuan County through the air.

22:00 pm
The road between Chengdu and Lixian County was through with conditions.

23:59 pm
Donation raised or promised:
Taiwan £40,000,000 (promised amount by companies)
Hong Kong £50,000,000
Macao £1,920,000+



15 May

0:00 am
71 more military transport helicopters and 20 helicopters from airlines would join the rescue action.

From 20:00, 12 May till then, more than 40 planes were working in the quake area and flied more than 130 times. They have taken more than 8,600 rescuers and 200 ton goods for the quake stricken areas.

7:00 am
Premier Wen Jiabao arrived Qingchuan County, Guangyuan City...

9:00 am
More than 2000 military medical staff arrived in Sichuan.

10:00 am
About 5,000 doctors and nurses were working in the quake stricken area.
11:00am
Chinese Government allowed Japanese professional rescue team to join the rescue.
13:30 pm
The road from Lixian County to Wenchuan was repaired to Longxi, 10 km away from the quake centre Wenchuan.

14:30 pm
The Chinese military rescue team claimed that they would use helicopters to rescue 10 towns in the mountains, and there were rescue teams approaching 30 more other towns. They were aiming at that rescue teams would arrive in all towns and villages before mid-night.

16:00 pm
Official reports:
Deaths >19,500
Injured >102,100
Still buried 12,300
Rescued from under the ruins >13,400
Estimated deaths >50,000

15:00 pm
The Chinese government claimed that they have received national donation for nearly £1 billion.