May 18, 2008
MIAN YANG(China) – Yang Jianbo and Chen Xiaolin scour printouts taped on a walk at a sports arena listing thousands of earthquake survivors who have been accounted for, then turn and walk slowly away.
The name of their cousin, Yang Gan, is not there.
The 32-year-old businessman had travelled to the Sichuan hill town of Beichuan on May 8 to buy chunks of mountain rock to be carved into statues or sliced into tablets.
“We talked to him the day before the earthquake, so he was definitely there,” said Yang Jianbo.
As much as the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China’s southwestern Sichuan province tore apart buildings, it has done the same to families. In the chaotic aftermath information has been hard to come by in the search for loved ones.
On Monday, the day of the quake, Yang Gan and six associates had lunch together at the Beichuan Hotel, where they were staying. That was the last anyone heard from him.
Three checked out after eating and left town. They were in the city of Mianyang when the earthquake struck, said Yang Jianbo. Yang Gan and the others are missing.
“We contacted China Mobile and they said his cell phone was in Beichuan, specifically the Beichuan Hotel,” Yang Jianbo said.
As many as 25,000 refugees were encamped at the Jiuzhou Arena in the city of Mianyang, about an hour outstide of hard hit Beichuan county, a police officer estimated, and more were coming out of the hills and destroyed towns.
Area hospitals, too, were overflowing with earthquake victims, some putting the lightly injured in tents outside.
The government is making an effort to account for everyone, but the task is daunting with nearly 5 million people displaced and the death toll, now around 29,000, expected to exceed 50,000. It will take months to sort through the damage.
Teams of volunteers passed through the crowd at the arena taking down names, ages and hometowns of survivors. At tables outside more volunteers sat by signs naming each town and village in the surrounding area for people from those places to register.
A broadcast station called out the names of people being sought by others, and local radio periodically announced a specifice person was seeking another.
Pictures of missing family members or photocopies of their I.D. cards with a contact number were taped on walls and lamp posts at the arena.
“Wu Shiting, your wife is looking for you …,” read one.
(Reuturs)
As much as the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China’s southwestern Sichuan province tore apart buildings, it has done the same to families. cheer up,sichuan,cheer up,china!作者: 星海古松/小学生 时间: 2008-5-28 15:50 标题: up
