2008年5月22日
陶 傑 短 評 ： 涼血 動 物 一 大 堆
大 地 震 後 第 二 日 ， 中 國 記 者 在 新 聞 會 上 提 問 ： 為 何 學 校 塌 得 多 ， 政 府 大 樓 倒 得 少 ？ 同 一 日 ， 港 台 時 評 名 嘴 吳 某 也 提 問 ： 地 震 學 校 倒 得 多 ， 有 無 豆 腐 渣 工 程 ？ 這 一 天 ， 本 港 報 章 即 有 以 「 七 分 天 災 、 三 分 人 禍 」 追 究 豆 腐 渣 工 程 問 題 ， 可 見 地 震 的 人 為 責 任 ， 並 非 一 些 別 有 用 心 的 人 學 擺 起 一 副 官 腔 指 ： 「 現 在 不 是 追 究 的 時 候 」 ， 而 是 賑 災 與 問 責 ， 完 全 可 以 同 步 進 行 。 第 三 天 ， 中 央 電 視 台 也 報 道 了 豆 腐 渣 工 程 ， 中 國 育 部 高 官 承 諾 查 處 。 然 而 ， 只 有 港 台 吳 名 嘴 一 人 遭 到 特 區 糞 青 圍 攻 ， 師 奶 烽 煙 指 為 「 血 」 ， 並 發 動 「 投 訴 」 風 潮 。 如 果 講 一 講 豆 腐 渣 工 程 即 是 血 ， 那 麼 血 的 人 不 計 其 數 ， 還 包 括 中 央 台 。 「 與 天 鬥 爭 ， 其 樂 無 窮 ， 與 地 鬥 爭 ， 其 樂 無 窮 ， 與 人 鬥 爭 ， 其 樂 無 窮 」 ， 這 一 點 ， 請 溫 家 寶 先 生 留 意 ： 其 管 治 的 社 會 ， 繼 承 了 毛 式 文 革 的 仇 恨 基 因 ， 無 論 中 央 政 府 如 何 「 解 放 思 想 」 ， 改 善 形 象 ， 下 面 總 有 一 幫 情 緒 異 常 者 胡 亂 揣 摸 ， 爭 先 表 忠 ， 卻 又 搭 錯 線 ， 中 國 總 理 要 公 開 流 幾 次 淚 ， 才 洗 掉 這 幾 十 年 積 壓 難 改 的 一 股 異 味 ？ 溫 總 太 可 憐 了 ， 義 和 團 們 ， 少 幫 一 些 倒 忙 吧 。
2008年5月21日
EDBERG TO MAKE SENIOR TOUR DEBUT
Former No. 1 Stefan Edberg will play competitive tennis for the first time in 12 years on the BlackRock Tour of Champions in late 2008. Edberg will compete in Paris, France (The Trophee Jean-Luc Lagardere on Sept. 18-21) and at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England (The BlackRock Masters Tennis on Dec. 2-7. Pete Sampras, who will also make his debut this year on the European senior tour, says he is excited at the prospect of playing the 42-year-old Edberg. “I’m looking forward to playing against him because I always looked up to him with his serve-volley game, his movement and the attitude that he had,” Sampras said. “I always thought that he was a real gentleman and I’m looking forward to seeing him, talking to him and just seeing how his life is as I haven’t spoken to him for many years.”
Taiwan leader: democracy key to relations with China
Taiwan's new president on Tuesday tied improved political relations with rival China to Beijing's progress toward democracy -- a condition the communist superpower may have trouble meeting.
The comments by Ma Ying-jeou in his inaugural address took place on a day of dramatic developments in Taipei, as prosecutors announced they were launching a corruption probe into outgoing President Chen Shui-bian's handling of a special presidential fund.
The inquiry concerns allegations that Chen was involved in the embezzlement of some $484,000 from the fund, which is used to promote Taiwan's foreign diplomacy.
The comments by Ma Ying-jeou in his inaugural address took place on a day of dramatic developments in Taipei, as prosecutors announced they were launching a corruption probe into outgoing President Chen Shui-bian's handling of a special presidential fund.
The inquiry concerns allegations that Chen was involved in the embezzlement of some $484,000 from the fund, which is used to promote Taiwan's foreign diplomacy.
Ma's elevation to the presidency represents a clear break from the eight-year administration of Chen, whose confrontational pro-independence policies often led to friction with Beijing -- and with the United States, Taiwan's most important foreign partner.
In his inaugural address, the new leader reaffirmed the themes of his presidential campaign -- a desire for greater economic engagement with Beijing without renouncing Taiwan's sovereignty.
His comment on Chinese democracy stood among a series of generally bullish statements on cross-strait trade prospects, because it appeared to raise the bar on a lessening of tensions with Taiwan's giant neighbor.
Ma, Vice President Vincent Siew and the new Cabinet took their oaths of office in a somber ceremony in the ornate presidential office building with Chen looking on.
If Chen knew that prosecutors were about to move against him, he didn't show it. He appeared clam and relaxed, chatting easily with Ma.
Two hours later, Ma addressed a packed house of political leaders and representatives of Taiwan's dwindling band of diplomatic allies in a Taipei sports arena.
His address set the tone for the China policies of his administration.
"We ... hope that mainland China will continue to move toward freedom, democracy and prosperity for all the people," Ma said. "That would pave the way for long-term peaceful development of cross-strait relations."
Fifty-nine years after China and Taiwan split amid civil war, the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait remains one of the world's perennial hotspots.
Beijing continues to claim the island as part of its territory and has threatened to attack if it moves to make its de facto independence permanent -- something it accused Chen of coming close to doing.
In his remarks, Ma reaffirmed his long-standing opposition to Chen's independence line, while ruling out early talks aimed at achieving unity with China -- the central aim of Beijing's Taiwan policy for almost six decades.
Continue...
In his inaugural address, the new leader reaffirmed the themes of his presidential campaign -- a desire for greater economic engagement with Beijing without renouncing Taiwan's sovereignty.
His comment on Chinese democracy stood among a series of generally bullish statements on cross-strait trade prospects, because it appeared to raise the bar on a lessening of tensions with Taiwan's giant neighbor.
Ma, Vice President Vincent Siew and the new Cabinet took their oaths of office in a somber ceremony in the ornate presidential office building with Chen looking on.
If Chen knew that prosecutors were about to move against him, he didn't show it. He appeared clam and relaxed, chatting easily with Ma.
Two hours later, Ma addressed a packed house of political leaders and representatives of Taiwan's dwindling band of diplomatic allies in a Taipei sports arena.
His address set the tone for the China policies of his administration.
"We ... hope that mainland China will continue to move toward freedom, democracy and prosperity for all the people," Ma said. "That would pave the way for long-term peaceful development of cross-strait relations."
Fifty-nine years after China and Taiwan split amid civil war, the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait remains one of the world's perennial hotspots.
Beijing continues to claim the island as part of its territory and has threatened to attack if it moves to make its de facto independence permanent -- something it accused Chen of coming close to doing.
In his remarks, Ma reaffirmed his long-standing opposition to Chen's independence line, while ruling out early talks aimed at achieving unity with China -- the central aim of Beijing's Taiwan policy for almost six decades.
Continue...
Cell phone beep marked days for China quake victim
As he lay pinned by a concrete slab on his chest, Yuan Jiang heard the stuttering beep of the alarm clock on his cell phone, the only thing helping him keep track of time while trapped in a collapsed office building.
Once a day, from somewhere in the wreckage, it sounded at 8 a.m., the time he normally woke up, letting him know another day had passed. In between, the 37-year-old marketing executive shouted for help, talked with two co-workers buried elsewhere in the rubble, thought about his wife and daughter -- and waited for the alarm.
It rang three times.
Once a day, from somewhere in the wreckage, it sounded at 8 a.m., the time he normally woke up, letting him know another day had passed. In between, the 37-year-old marketing executive shouted for help, talked with two co-workers buried elsewhere in the rubble, thought about his wife and daughter -- and waited for the alarm.
It rang three times.
"I just waited and waited and waited for somebody to come," said Yuan, who was freed from the wreckage almost 72 hours after the devastating earthquake flattened his hometown of Beichuan.
While the powerful May 12 quake obliterated communities in a swath of China, 6,375 people were pulled alive from the rubble -- victories amid a death toll projected to rise past 50,000. State media have cheered the rescues.
Yuan suffered light injuries, fractures to his chest, a torn left ear, a bruised right eye, a chunk of scalp torn away and now bandaged.
His 10-year-old daughter lived, but his wife is buried under their home and presumed dead. "My wife is gone," he said from his hospital bed.
Beichuan is so wrecked that officials are talking about rebuilding on a new site, leaving the mounds of ruins as a monument to the thousands dead and the quake-shattered lives of its remaining 30,000 people. While rescue workers kept up a methodical hunt for survivors in recent days, fewer searched Tuesday, the pace slowing nine days after the quake.
Down the block from the now listing six-story Beichuan Hotel, Yuan was meeting with 20 others at his telecommunications company's sixth floor office on May 12 when the building shook. At least eight of them rushed to a stairwell but made it only one floor down before everything crumbled.
A nearby wall splintered, shooting off a chunk of debris wide enough to cover Yuan from his stomach to his neck and pinning him to the floor. He could not move, but was wedged at an angle he could still take shallow, painful breaths in the hot, dusty air. His glasses were smashed, leaving him unable to see much beyond a few feet.
"I shouted until I had no more strength left," Yuan said Tuesday, his voice still hoarse. "I just wanted to escape."
In between his own screams, he heard others and recognized their voices, two co-workers, screaming "Help! Help!" They called to each other, talking about their injuries, and figured out where each was. One was on the floor above Yuan, the other on the floor below.
Continue...
While the powerful May 12 quake obliterated communities in a swath of China, 6,375 people were pulled alive from the rubble -- victories amid a death toll projected to rise past 50,000. State media have cheered the rescues.
Yuan suffered light injuries, fractures to his chest, a torn left ear, a bruised right eye, a chunk of scalp torn away and now bandaged.
His 10-year-old daughter lived, but his wife is buried under their home and presumed dead. "My wife is gone," he said from his hospital bed.
Beichuan is so wrecked that officials are talking about rebuilding on a new site, leaving the mounds of ruins as a monument to the thousands dead and the quake-shattered lives of its remaining 30,000 people. While rescue workers kept up a methodical hunt for survivors in recent days, fewer searched Tuesday, the pace slowing nine days after the quake.
Down the block from the now listing six-story Beichuan Hotel, Yuan was meeting with 20 others at his telecommunications company's sixth floor office on May 12 when the building shook. At least eight of them rushed to a stairwell but made it only one floor down before everything crumbled.
A nearby wall splintered, shooting off a chunk of debris wide enough to cover Yuan from his stomach to his neck and pinning him to the floor. He could not move, but was wedged at an angle he could still take shallow, painful breaths in the hot, dusty air. His glasses were smashed, leaving him unable to see much beyond a few feet.
"I shouted until I had no more strength left," Yuan said Tuesday, his voice still hoarse. "I just wanted to escape."
In between his own screams, he heard others and recognized their voices, two co-workers, screaming "Help! Help!" They called to each other, talking about their injuries, and figured out where each was. One was on the floor above Yuan, the other on the floor below.
Continue...
Vignettes of China earthquake survivors
Vignettes of recently rescued survivors of China's May 12 earthquake, whose confirmed death toll rose Tuesday to 40,075:
Trapped between two large stones and living on rainwater, Wang Youqun was rescued 195 hours after the quake from a temple in the city of Pengzhou. She was pulled free at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, one of the most recently rescued survivors, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Wang, a 60-year-old retiree, suffered only a hip fracture and bruises on her face during her eight days in the rubble, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television reported, citing air force officer Xie Linglong. She was knocked into a daylong coma by a falling girder, Xinhua reported.
Trapped between two large stones and living on rainwater, Wang Youqun was rescued 195 hours after the quake from a temple in the city of Pengzhou. She was pulled free at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, one of the most recently rescued survivors, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Wang, a 60-year-old retiree, suffered only a hip fracture and bruises on her face during her eight days in the rubble, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television reported, citing air force officer Xie Linglong. She was knocked into a daylong coma by a falling girder, Xinhua reported.
Ma Yuanjiang was pulled out of the debris of the Yingxiu Bay Hydropower Plant early Tuesday after 100 workers pounded through 10 slabs of concrete to reach him, Xinhua reported. Freed after 179 hours, he had a large wound in his right side, and a colleague told Xinhua he was in intensive care.
Rescuers first saw Ma, a 31-year-old power plant executive, on Sunday as they dug to rescue one of his co-workers. As they used jackhammers and shovels to tunnel through 30 feet of debris, they fed him sweetened water through a tube.
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Peng Guohua, a miner, survived 170 hours by eating clean toilet paper and drinking his own urine, Xinhua said citing unidentified military sources. He was in stable condition.
Peng, 37, had been working in a lime pit 32 feet deep when the quake sealed him inside. Rescuers found and treated him Monday afternoon in a township of An Xian county, near the city of Mianyang.
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Wang Chunbang was trapped in a crack near the entrance to a manganese mine and stayed alive by drinking his own urine until being saved 164 hours after the quake, Xinhua reported. He was in fair condition with dehydration after his rescue Monday morning in Qingchuan county.
Wang, 65, had been on his way home at the end of a shift when the mining pit collapsed in a landslide. For the first two days, he cried out when he heard footsteps but was not rescued. Workers followed the sound of his weak breathing after they found two corpses at the pit entrance, one rescuer told Xinhua.
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Liu Huaqing was trapped for 96 hours in her bathroom. She'd run there because she thought a confined space would be safe, and ended up with the left side of her body caught between two facing walls that collapsed.
Liu, a 43-year-old waitress, listened May 14 as rescuers saved one of her neighbors a floor below her, but she had to wait another day for her own rescue because her location was harder to reach. "I was bitterly disappointed, but there was nothing to be done," she said later from her hospital wheelchair, in tears. Her left arm was severely bruised, and her left knee was swollen and bandaged.
Continue...
Rescuers first saw Ma, a 31-year-old power plant executive, on Sunday as they dug to rescue one of his co-workers. As they used jackhammers and shovels to tunnel through 30 feet of debris, they fed him sweetened water through a tube.
------
Peng Guohua, a miner, survived 170 hours by eating clean toilet paper and drinking his own urine, Xinhua said citing unidentified military sources. He was in stable condition.
Peng, 37, had been working in a lime pit 32 feet deep when the quake sealed him inside. Rescuers found and treated him Monday afternoon in a township of An Xian county, near the city of Mianyang.
------
Wang Chunbang was trapped in a crack near the entrance to a manganese mine and stayed alive by drinking his own urine until being saved 164 hours after the quake, Xinhua reported. He was in fair condition with dehydration after his rescue Monday morning in Qingchuan county.
Wang, 65, had been on his way home at the end of a shift when the mining pit collapsed in a landslide. For the first two days, he cried out when he heard footsteps but was not rescued. Workers followed the sound of his weak breathing after they found two corpses at the pit entrance, one rescuer told Xinhua.
------
Liu Huaqing was trapped for 96 hours in her bathroom. She'd run there because she thought a confined space would be safe, and ended up with the left side of her body caught between two facing walls that collapsed.
Liu, a 43-year-old waitress, listened May 14 as rescuers saved one of her neighbors a floor below her, but she had to wait another day for her own rescue because her location was harder to reach. "I was bitterly disappointed, but there was nothing to be done," she said later from her hospital wheelchair, in tears. Her left arm was severely bruised, and her left knee was swollen and bandaged.
Continue...
China's post-quake challenge: 5 million homeless
China is grappling with the next massive task in the aftermath of its earthquake -- how to shelter the 5 million people left homeless.
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2008年5月20日
連結民主與兩岸 馬英九演說形塑新台灣民族宣言
在以「人民奮起，台灣新生」為名的總統就職演說中，今天上任的馬英九總統對台灣民主做的註解，就是「全球華人寄以厚望的政治實驗」。馬英九一向自許為「三民主義信徒」、「新台灣人」，整場演說中，他再三強調台灣民主成就與未來兩岸和平共榮的重要性，充分顯示馬英九欲藉此番論述，作為「新台灣民族宣言」的企圖心。
馬英九在演說中，花了大篇幅的時間，完整地將「台灣精神」與「國父的民主憲政理想」連結。他語氣激動的強調：「人民選擇政治清廉、經濟開放、族群和諧、兩岸和平與迎向未來」，除了希望凸顯他自己對台灣政治的期許，另一層面也顯示，馬英九做為民選史上最高得票的總統，已經準備以個人意志主導台灣「永續經營」的方向；當然也必須完全負責。雖然成敗與否目前言之過早，但就職後握有實權的馬英九，確實比起之前多了幾分自信神采。
一如外界預期，馬英九對於中共領導人胡錦濤所說的「建立互信、擱置爭議、求同存異、共創雙贏」釋出極大善意回應，也是第一位說出以「九二共識」與對岸恢復協商的中華民國總統。國民黨內某高層評析，「老百姓可能不知道，光是說出這一點，就花了國民黨多少力氣？」的確，連戰、吳伯雄等人對兩岸促成的互動與聯繫，是馬英九處理兩岸、國際事務可以如此游刃有餘的強力後盾，而這些也正是馬英九所說「台灣與大陸一定可以找到和平共榮之道」的基礎。
同時，馬英九揚棄了過去八年鎖國的做法，他認為，「開放則興盛、閉鎖則衰敗，這是歷史的鐵律」，凸顯馬英九期待能夠為人民找回信心、釋放受困已久經濟活力的決心。
對於樹立民主典範，馬英九更期許自己「最神聖的職責就是守護憲法」，一方面是與過去的民進黨政府做出強烈對比，另一方面也希望政治權責相符、嚴守分際，畢竟台灣的民主才經歷第二次政黨輪替，「遵憲與行憲比修憲更重要」。未來的台灣，是否真能發展馬英九所說的「優質民主」：人權獲得保障、法治得到貫徹、司法獨立而公正、公民社會得以蓬勃發展？全台灣老百姓不只拭目以待，還會嚴格打分數，畢竟已經沒有人希望現在聽到的任何口號，會像這八年聽到的一樣華而不實。
馬英九在演說中，花了大篇幅的時間，完整地將「台灣精神」與「國父的民主憲政理想」連結。他語氣激動的強調：「人民選擇政治清廉、經濟開放、族群和諧、兩岸和平與迎向未來」，除了希望凸顯他自己對台灣政治的期許，另一層面也顯示，馬英九做為民選史上最高得票的總統，已經準備以個人意志主導台灣「永續經營」的方向；當然也必須完全負責。雖然成敗與否目前言之過早，但就職後握有實權的馬英九，確實比起之前多了幾分自信神采。
一如外界預期，馬英九對於中共領導人胡錦濤所說的「建立互信、擱置爭議、求同存異、共創雙贏」釋出極大善意回應，也是第一位說出以「九二共識」與對岸恢復協商的中華民國總統。國民黨內某高層評析，「老百姓可能不知道，光是說出這一點，就花了國民黨多少力氣？」的確，連戰、吳伯雄等人對兩岸促成的互動與聯繫，是馬英九處理兩岸、國際事務可以如此游刃有餘的強力後盾，而這些也正是馬英九所說「台灣與大陸一定可以找到和平共榮之道」的基礎。
同時，馬英九揚棄了過去八年鎖國的做法，他認為，「開放則興盛、閉鎖則衰敗，這是歷史的鐵律」，凸顯馬英九期待能夠為人民找回信心、釋放受困已久經濟活力的決心。
對於樹立民主典範，馬英九更期許自己「最神聖的職責就是守護憲法」，一方面是與過去的民進黨政府做出強烈對比，另一方面也希望政治權責相符、嚴守分際，畢竟台灣的民主才經歷第二次政黨輪替，「遵憲與行憲比修憲更重要」。未來的台灣，是否真能發展馬英九所說的「優質民主」：人權獲得保障、法治得到貫徹、司法獨立而公正、公民社會得以蓬勃發展？全台灣老百姓不只拭目以待，還會嚴格打分數，畢竟已經沒有人希望現在聽到的任何口號，會像這八年聽到的一樣華而不實。
Taiwan inaugurates new president
A proponent of improved ties with China took office as Taiwan's president Tuesday, immediately promising to pursue peace with the larger rival and work for regional stability.
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馬上任馬提「和解休兵」 重申在九二共識上恢復協商
新任總統馬英九20日在就職演說中重申，將在九二共識的基礎上早日恢復協商，台灣已經做好協商的準備，馬英九並以和解休兵呼應中國國家主席胡錦濤的16字箴言，強調兩岸人民同屬中華民族，本應各盡所能而非惡性競爭，兩岸一定可以找到和平共榮之道，為兩岸關係的和平發展創造雙贏的歷史條件。
馬英九在就職演說中，對於各界關切的兩岸議題部分，他表示，希望海峽兩岸能抓住當前難得的歷史機遇，共同開啟和平共榮的歷史新頁。他強調，將以最符合台灣主流民意的「不統、不獨、不武」的理念，在中華民國憲法架構下，維持台灣海峽的現狀。
馬英九也重申，今後將繼續在「九二共識」的基礎上，儘早恢復協商，並秉持四月十二日在博鰲論壇中提出的「正視現實，開創未來；擱置爭議，追求雙贏」，尋求共同利益的平衡點，他強調，我方已經做好協商的準備，希望七月即將開始的週末包機直航與大陸觀光客來台，能讓兩岸關係跨入一個嶄新的時代。
對於胡錦濤近來三次有關兩岸關係的談話，馬英九則強調「和解休兵」，他表示，兩岸人民同屬中華民族，本應各盡所能，齊頭並進，共同貢獻國際社會，而非惡性競爭、虛耗資源，以世界之大、中華民族智慧之高，台灣與大陸一定可以找到和平共榮之道。
馬英九在就職演說中，對於各界關切的兩岸議題部分，他表示，希望海峽兩岸能抓住當前難得的歷史機遇，共同開啟和平共榮的歷史新頁。他強調，將以最符合台灣主流民意的「不統、不獨、不武」的理念，在中華民國憲法架構下，維持台灣海峽的現狀。
馬英九也重申，今後將繼續在「九二共識」的基礎上，儘早恢復協商，並秉持四月十二日在博鰲論壇中提出的「正視現實，開創未來；擱置爭議，追求雙贏」，尋求共同利益的平衡點，他強調，我方已經做好協商的準備，希望七月即將開始的週末包機直航與大陸觀光客來台，能讓兩岸關係跨入一個嶄新的時代。
對於胡錦濤近來三次有關兩岸關係的談話，馬英九則強調「和解休兵」，他表示，兩岸人民同屬中華民族，本應各盡所能，齊頭並進，共同貢獻國際社會，而非惡性競爭、虛耗資源，以世界之大、中華民族智慧之高，台灣與大陸一定可以找到和平共榮之道。
Warning of major aftershock sparks panic in China
A government warning of a major aftershock sent thousands of panicked survivors running into the darkened streets Monday night following an unprecedented display of mourning for more than 34,000 people killed in a powerful earthquake one week ago.
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2008年5月19日
China stands still to mourn quake victims
China stood still and sirens wailed Monday to mourn the country's tens of thousands of earthquake victims, as the search for survivors increasingly became a search for bodies.
Construction workers, shopkeepers and bureaucrats across the bustling nation of 1.3 billion people paused for three minutes at 2:28 p.m. -- exactly one week after the magnitude 7.9 quake hit central China. Air-raid sirens and the horns of cars and buses sounded in memory of the estimated 50,000 dead.
Construction workers, shopkeepers and bureaucrats across the bustling nation of 1.3 billion people paused for three minutes at 2:28 p.m. -- exactly one week after the magnitude 7.9 quake hit central China. Air-raid sirens and the horns of cars and buses sounded in memory of the estimated 50,000 dead.
The confirmed death toll from the May 12 quake rose to 34,073, the State Council, China's Cabinet, said Monday. Quake-related losses to companies totaled $9.5 billion, Deputy Industry Minister Xi Guohua said Monday.
The military was still struggling to reach areas cut off by the earthquake, with more than 10,000 discovered stranded in Yinxiui valley near the epicenter, China National Radio said Monday. There was no information on casualties there, and 600 soldiers were hiking into the area.
In an indication of the challenge in dealing with millions of homeless and injured survivors, China said it would accept foreign medical teams and issued an international appeal for tents.
"China requests the international community donate tents as a priority when they donate materials because many houses were toppled in the quake and because it is the rainy season," ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement, also thanking the international community for its help so far.
In the disaster area, more than 200 relief workers were reported buried over the past three days by mudslides while working to repair roads in Sichuan, Xinhua reported.
An official confirmed mudslides had caused some deaths but gave no details. "The total death toll is still being counted," said the official at the Sichuan provincial Communications Department who only gave his last name, Shi.
Fourteen Taiwanese escaped a massive landslide in Sichuan. They were located by authorities using satellite positioning data from the group's tour bus on Friday, Chinese authorities said, and were set to head home Monday.
During three days of national mourning ordered by the government, flags were to fly at half-staff and public entertainment was canceled -- an unprecedented outpouring of state sympathy on a level normally reserved for dead leaders.
Rescuers also briefly halted work in the disaster zone, where the hunt for survivors turned glum despite remarkable survival tales among thousands buried. Two women were rescued Monday after being trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building at a coal mine in Sichuan, Xinhua reported.
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In an indication of the challenge in dealing with millions of homeless and injured survivors, China said it would accept foreign medical teams and issued an international appeal for tents.
"China requests the international community donate tents as a priority when they donate materials because many houses were toppled in the quake and because it is the rainy season," ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement, also thanking the international community for its help so far.
In the disaster area, more than 200 relief workers were reported buried over the past three days by mudslides while working to repair roads in Sichuan, Xinhua reported.
An official confirmed mudslides had caused some deaths but gave no details. "The total death toll is still being counted," said the official at the Sichuan provincial Communications Department who only gave his last name, Shi.
Fourteen Taiwanese escaped a massive landslide in Sichuan. They were located by authorities using satellite positioning data from the group's tour bus on Friday, Chinese authorities said, and were set to head home Monday.
During three days of national mourning ordered by the government, flags were to fly at half-staff and public entertainment was canceled -- an unprecedented outpouring of state sympathy on a level normally reserved for dead leaders.
Rescuers also briefly halted work in the disaster zone, where the hunt for survivors turned glum despite remarkable survival tales among thousands buried. Two women were rescued Monday after being trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building at a coal mine in Sichuan, Xinhua reported.
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China holding 3 days of mourning for quake victims
Flags flew at half-staff, public entertainment was canceled and 1.3 billion people were asked to observe three minutes of silence as China began three days of mourning Monday for the victims of the nation's massive earthquake.
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2008年5月18日
12-year-old China quake survivor loses leg
As Huang Siyu ran down the stairs of her school after the powerful earthquake, the building collapsed and her teacher was killed. A chunk of falling debris crushed the fifth grader's left leg, and her schoolmates dragged her to safety.
Quake survivors in hardscrabble existence
The earthquake that tore through western China last week flattened entire towns and city neighborhoods, killing as many as 50,000. As a massive military operation concentrates on rescues and disposing of the dead, countless survivors face a hardscrabble existence among the debris. Here are some snapshots of the scene:
Thousands flee China quake area over flood fears
Two rivers blocked by landslides threatened to flood towns shattered by China's massive earthquake, sending thousands of survivors fleeing Saturday in a region still staggering from the country's worst disaster in 30 years.
A mountain sheared off by the mighty tremor cut the Qingzhu river and swallowed the riverside village of Donghekou whole, entombing an unknown number of people inside a huge mound of brown earth.
Compounding the horror for survivors, a lake rising behind the wall of debris threatens to break its banks and send torrents cascading into villages downstream.
A mountain sheared off by the mighty tremor cut the Qingzhu river and swallowed the riverside village of Donghekou whole, entombing an unknown number of people inside a huge mound of brown earth.
Compounding the horror for survivors, a lake rising behind the wall of debris threatens to break its banks and send torrents cascading into villages downstream.
Pannicky residents streamed out of the entire county on the northern edge of the quake zone, spurred on by mobile phone text messages sent en masse by local government officials warning that the water level was rising and people downstream were being evacuated.
In the town of Beichuan, 60 miles to the south, thousands fled as the reports circulated.
Also on Sunday, a "slightly bruised" man was pulled out alive from a collapsed hospital in Beichuan after being trapped for 139 hours after the quake, a state news agency reported.
The official Xinhua News Agency said Tang Xiong was pulled to safety from the collapsed hospital in Beichuan in the northern part of Sichuan province.
It said Tang "was only slightly bruised and in his right senses" when he was found.
Xinhua also said a second man was rescued from a different building in Beichuan about eight hours before Tang. It said the survivor, Wu Jianping, had been taken to hospital. His condition was not known.
Rescue work had been resumed later in the day and experts were monitoring the river above Beichuan, the People's Daily newspaper said on its web site. The swift exodus underscored the jitters running through the disaster zone. A strong aftershock -- the second in two days and measured by the U.S. Geological Survey at magnitude 5.7 -- shook the area early Sunday for 45 seconds, causing people to run into the streets.
In all the devastation wrought by the quake, little looks as bleak as Donghekou.
The road to the village ends in a tangled twist of metal and tar. In the small valley below, the village itself has disappeared when the mountain collapsed. Locals said two other villages further upstream, Ciban and Kangle, had suffered the same fate. The three villages were home to about 300 families, locals said.
Eerie and still, the remaining landscape has few signs of human life -- a soiled green floral scarf, a rubber pipe, a log.
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In the town of Beichuan, 60 miles to the south, thousands fled as the reports circulated.
Also on Sunday, a "slightly bruised" man was pulled out alive from a collapsed hospital in Beichuan after being trapped for 139 hours after the quake, a state news agency reported.
The official Xinhua News Agency said Tang Xiong was pulled to safety from the collapsed hospital in Beichuan in the northern part of Sichuan province.
It said Tang "was only slightly bruised and in his right senses" when he was found.
Xinhua also said a second man was rescued from a different building in Beichuan about eight hours before Tang. It said the survivor, Wu Jianping, had been taken to hospital. His condition was not known.
Rescue work had been resumed later in the day and experts were monitoring the river above Beichuan, the People's Daily newspaper said on its web site. The swift exodus underscored the jitters running through the disaster zone. A strong aftershock -- the second in two days and measured by the U.S. Geological Survey at magnitude 5.7 -- shook the area early Sunday for 45 seconds, causing people to run into the streets.
In all the devastation wrought by the quake, little looks as bleak as Donghekou.
The road to the village ends in a tangled twist of metal and tar. In the small valley below, the village itself has disappeared when the mountain collapsed. Locals said two other villages further upstream, Ciban and Kangle, had suffered the same fate. The three villages were home to about 300 families, locals said.
Eerie and still, the remaining landscape has few signs of human life -- a soiled green floral scarf, a rubber pipe, a log.
Continue...
1 2 3
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