2010 Yushu earthquake

Date: April 14, 2010

Place: Yushu county, Qinghai plateau, China

Result: 2,698 people dead; 12,135 injured; 100,000 residents left homeless

Overview

The year 2010 was a year of devastating earthquakes around the world, with more than sixty serious enough to cause fatalities. China alone was stricken with fifteen damaging earthquakes that year. The most significant of the Chinese quakes was the one that struck Yushu in the earthquake-prone Qinghai province in northwest China on April 14, 2010.

The Quake.Registering 6.9 on the scale used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) or 7.1 on the scale used by the Chinese Earthquake Administration (CEA) and Chinese Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the quake began at 7:49 a.m. local time. The epicenter of the main quake was about six miles underground in an area 235 miles southeast of the city of Golmud. Eighteen significant aftershocks followed, including a 5.3 magnitude quake ten minutes after the first, a 5.2 magnitude quake two minutes after the second quake, and a 5.8 magnitude quake at 9:25 a.m. Scientists said the earthquakes were the result of the Indian tectonic plate hitting the Asian plate. The relatively shallow depth of the quake increased the damage experienced on the surface, with the shock waves shaking the ground surface more violently than it would have if the quake epicenter was deeper in the earth.

Damage. The quakes destroyed about 85 to 90 percent of the buildings and knocked out phone lines and other utilities to the rural area. The seventeen-hour drive from the nearest major town and severe damage to roads near the airport hampered emergency efforts, making it difficult to get humanitarian aid, rescue workers, and equipment into the area. In many cases, soldiers, monks from nearby Tibetan temples, and others used household tools and bare hands to begin digging out those trapped in the rubble. The time of the quake meant that many people were gathered in schools and office buildings for the day and were caught under collapsing structures and debris. Official reports listed 2,698 people dead and another 270 missing and presumed dead, 12,135 injured, and at least 100,000 residents left homeless.

The emergency response included more than three thousand civilian and military medical personnel who worked in the available on-site medical facilities as well as mobile facilities brought in after the quake. In addition, more than three hundred workers used disinfectants and dispensed fresh food and water in efforts to prevent infection and food poisoning. Animals were also treated to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in an area that relies heavily on herd animals for food and income.

Challenges. Rescue efforts were hampered by the remote location, lack of sophisticated infrastructure and rescue equipment, communication issues with the largely native Tibetan residents of the area, and cold temperatures. On the day of the quake, temperatures dropped to 27 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 degrees Celsius) and snow was forecasted for the next few days. The high altitude also hampered the work of rescuers by causing health issues for those not acclimated to the thinner air. Because the location of the quake was 14,000 feet above sea level, dozens of rescue workers had to be treated for altitude sickness, including a number who suffered pulmonary edema (excess fluid in the lungs) or cerebral edema (excess fluid in brain tissue) as a result of the thinner air and lower concentration of oxygen. Even some search-and-rescue dogs brought in to look for trapped victims had to be taken from the area because they experienced problems with the high altitude.

The disposal of so many bodies in the aftermath of the quake also presented special challenges. The usual burial practice in the area is called a celestial burial, where the body is left exposed for vultures to remove all the remains. Instead, cremation was agreed upon as an acceptable alternative by the governmental, religious, and health care authorities.

Another challenge experienced by the Chinese government was that this devastating quake hit just under two years after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit the nearby Sichuan area on May 12, 2008. That earthquake, which hit a more densely populated area, caused more than 70,000 deaths with more than 18,000 others unaccounted for in the aftermath. Significant resources were needed to provide emergency relief and reconstruction funding after these two destructive quakes hit China.

Impact

The 2010 quake left the largely impoverished community without key resources such as hospitals and schools. Many of the children in the region attend boarding schools because of the sparse population and distances that needed to be travelled to get to school. This meant that not only schools but also dormitories, cafeterias, and other facilities needed to be rebuilt. In some cases, nongovernmental agencies stepped in to help rebuild these important facilities. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) assisted with the reconstruction of schools, providing first tent classrooms and then mobile buildings to serve as schools and dormitories.

The government also began efforts to provide new living quarters and infrastructure for the stricken area. The estimates for government reconstruction funds for the Yushu quake ranged between $4.7 billion and $7.2 billion to repair or replace roads, bridges, utility services, and as many as 61,000 houses. However, funding in some cases fell short of the need, leaving incomplete buildings and requiring family members to stay together in close quarters because of a lack of available housing. The new infrastructure also meant some higher costs for utilities and other services, creating financial challenges in an area where UNICEF reports the annual per capita income is about $350.

Tourism was another casualty of the earthquake. While people from across China and other countries previously came to see the ancient Tibetan temples and other sites in the region, tourists were slow to return in the years following the earthquake. This further hampered the area economy and became a lingering side effect of the quake for the residents remaining in the region.

Bibliography

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Jacobs, Andrew. "4 Years after Quake, Some See a Resurrected Chinese City, Others Dashed Dreams." New York Times. New York Times Company, 21 May 2014. Web. 16 May 2016.

Peng, Haiwen. "China’s Health Challenges after the Yushu Earthquake." Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 26.2 (2011): 135–136. Web. 16 May 2016.

"Xinhua Insight: New Life, Challenges in Yushu after Quake Reconstruction." Xinhua. Xinhua, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 16 May 2016.

Yushu Earthquake One Year Report. Chaoyang District, Beijing: UNICEF, 2011. Web. 16 May 2016.

"Yushu Quake to Cost China US$4.7 Billion." China Post. China Post, 14 June 2010. Web. 16 May 2016.