A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central China earlier today. It was centered in the Sichuan province, about 1500 kilometers from Beijing. Shaking was felt as far away as Beijing. CNN reports that at least 10,000 people are feared dead. The earthquake was rather shallow (the focus being located only 10km beneath the surface).
Source: USGS
The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center: An earthquake occurred 90 km (55 miles) WNW of Chengdu, Sichuan, China and 1545 km (960 miles) SW of BEIJING, Beijing, China at 12:28 AM MDT, May 12, 2008 (2:28 PM local time in China). The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available. There have been no reports of damage.
Source: Reuters
From CNN:
At least six more earthquakes — measuring between 4.0 and 6.0 magnitudes — happened nearby over the three hours after the initial quake at at 2:28 p.m. local time (0728 GMT), the USGS reported.
advertisementA spokesman for the Beijing Olympic Committee said no Olympic venues were affected by the earthquake. The massive Three Gorges Dam — roughly 600 km east of the epicenter — was not damaged, a spokesman said.
The earthquake was also felt in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, and as far away as Hanoi, Vietnam, and Bangkok, Thailand, according to the Hong Kong-based Mandarin-language channel Phoenix TV.
Update: The latest estimates say that over 10,000 have been killed. And it will probably be significantly higher than that as rescuers reach cities that have been cut off due to damages to roads and lines of communication. From CNN: It reported that authorities were yet to reach Wenchuan County — which sits at the epicenter of the 7.9-magnitude earthquake with a population of about 112,000 — because of damage to roads.
[Via USGS]
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For Immediate Release
Emergency Aid offered in Beijing, China Earthquake
International
Beijing, China
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Next Of Kin Registry (NOKR) the world’s emergency contact system is offering its FREE services to help the families and victims of the Beijing, China Earthquake. The NOKR has assisted in many major disasters to include Hurricane Katrina, 2005 London Bombing and the Asian Tsunami in 2004. The NOKR is a free service where family members and friends from around the globe can register online any possible victims and list multiple point(s) of contact for that person. NOKR can provide secure access to the victim registry to emergency officials involved with family reunification in China thus streamlining information for both families and officials. Register the missing now http://nokr.org
Next Of Kin Registry (NOKR) International Emergency Contact System
NOKR Inc., a Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Public Benefit Humanitarian Organization