Sichuan Earthquake - General Information

"The 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which measured at 8.0 Ms according to China Seismological Bureau (CSB), occurred on 12 May 2008 in Sichuan province of China. The epicenter was 80 kilometres (50 mi) west-northwest of Chengdu , the capital of Sichuan , with a depth of 19 kilometres (12 mi). The earthquake was felt as far away as Beijing (1,500 km away) and Shanghai (1,700 km away), where office buildings swayed with the tremor. Official figures (as of June 23, 12:00 CST) state that 69,181 are confirmed dead and 374,171 injured, with 18,498 listed as missing. The earthquake left about 4.8 million people homeless,] though the number could be as high as 11 million. Approximately 15 million people lived in the affected area ..." (Wikipedia)

The Chinese government has very timely and effectively conducted the emergency and rescue operations in the aftermath of this destructive earthquke. It is also providing temporary shelter and material support to those affected by the disaster and it is planning a comprehensive reconstruction strategy.