Anthony
(1) Earthquake Devastates Northern Hebei Province
[CND, 01/11/98] A powerful earthquake killed at least 50 and injured over
3,000 in northern China on Saturday, according to two Reuters and one CCTV
report. The earthquake, which measured 6.2 on the Richter scale, struck
at 11:50 a.m. (0350 GMT). It devastated Zhangbei county (population
360,000), where all 50 victims were killed, and neighboring Shangyi county
(population 190,000), just north of the Great Wall in agricultural Hebei
province.
Village homes made of mud and brick were flattened and tens of thousands
of peasants were left homeless, as temperatures plunged to minus 20
degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit). According to the latest
CCTV report, the earthquake left 100,000 houses collapsed and 400,000
homeless; the estimated loss is now 2.4 billion yuan RMB. Tall buildings
swayed in Beijing, 140 miles southeast of the epicenter, and more than 100
aftershocks have jolted the general area.
The Xinhua News Agency reports that Chinese seismologists predicted on
Friday an earthquake measuring 5-6 on the Richter scale would hit Shangyi
some time in 1998. In 1997 many superstitious Beijing residents were
worried about predictions of a powerful earthquake that was to hit the
capital. The State Seismological Bureau has tried to allay public fears
by issuing an official notice that, while the Saturday earthquake would be
followed by aftershocks over a period of time, Beijing would not be
seriously affected. (Fabian FANG)
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