Into the 3rd Week

In the third week after, miraculous survival stories begin to run out. The tedious work of reuniting lost families and providing shelter for those affected by the destruction of more than 14 million homes continues.

Official figures say that the total number of people affected stands at 45, 509, 241, even greater than the entire population of Spain. Resettlement efforts are massive. Emergency housing has been secured for more than 15 million people. To put that in perspective, it is the equivalent of resettling everyone in Israel or the Netherlands twice over.


Day 15
26 May 2008, Monday

Death toll: 65, 080
Injury toll: 360, 058
Missing : 23, 150

The China Disabled People's Performing Arts Troupe have announced that they will donate all their takings from their seven-city tour of Britain to relief efforts in Sichuan. The group of hearing-impaired, fully and partially blind artistes premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre in London and will spend 20 days performing in other major cities like Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow.



Day 16
27 May 2008, Tuesday

Death toll: 67, 183
Injury toll: 361, 822
Missing : 20, 790


The Chinese local media turns their attention to the arrival of a prominent Taiwanese politician.

Wu Boxiong, the leader of the island's Kuomintang Party, arrives in Nanjing, meeting with local officials. On Tuesday he pays his respects at the mausoleum of Chinese anti-imperialist revolutionary Dr Sun Yat-Sen and had more than few nice things to say about the Chinese leadership.

A Misfortune Creates Optimism Across the Taiwan Straits



Day 17
28 May 2008, Wednesday

Death toll: 68, 109
Injury toll: 362, 552
Missing : 19,851

Rife rumours that another earthquake would take place today proved to be unfounded but the situation close to one of the so-called quake lakes was getting dire.

Some 30,000 people have been evacuated from around the Tangjiashan 唐家山 quake lake, just 3.2 km from the quake-affected town of Beichuan. The water level in the lake has risen to 1.6 metres deep and though authorities say the rate of increase has fallen, the lake - created when the sudden movements from the quake dammed an existing river - could still burst its banks. There is estimated to be more than 100 million cubic metres of water in the lake, which can probably hold up to 300 million.

Heavy machinery has been used to dredge the lake but the People's Liberation Army has sent bomber planes along with 1,100 troops and 10 tons of explosives to blow apart the quake lake.

According to official state media, out of 34 lakes created, 28 are in danger of bursting.



Day 18
29 May 2008, Thursday

Death toll: 68, 516
Injury toll: 365, 399
Missing : 19, 350

The outcry from American actress Sharon Stone's remarks at the Cannes Film Festival refocuses national attention once again on the Sichuan earthquake. Apart from calling the Dalai Lama " a good friend", she added, "And then all this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and I thought, is that karma -- when you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

French perfume makers Christian Dior had to pull the 50-year-old's ads from China where the world's largest online community debated among themselves, if they should accept Stone's subsequent apology. She issued a statement saying, "In the course of the interview I made inappropriate remarks and for any harm created towards the Chinese people I am extremely sad and apologize." Local media wryly noted that she may have lost US$56 million over her thoughtless remarks.

Sharon stoned on the Chinese net



The situation over at the Tangjiashan quake lake worsens after 12 hours of continuous rain raises water volume to 160 million cubic metres. Officials fear the worst if the levels increase at the current rate of 10 million cubic metres/ day. Almost 70,000 people have been moved to safety, with another 90,000 ready to be evacuated as well. The 160,000 in the nearby town of Jinyang may also be affected.




Day 19
30 May 2008, Friday

Death toll: 68,858
Injury toll: 366, 586
Missing : 18, 618


Japan's international rescue team - one of the first to arrive after the quake - have returned home. Tokyo has announced that it will be sending relief provisions like tents and blankets to China, but not via military aircraft as first intended. Instead civilian planes will be chartered to make the delivery, which will be less controversial in light of residual tension on the part of the Chinese over the Japanese invasion and occupation of their country in World War Two.

If the original plan had gone ahead, it would have been the first significant military despatch from Japan to China since the war.


The Chinese Red Cross reiterates that 100% of all donations received for the Sichuan quake victims will go towards relief efforts, and that it will not use any portion of it to cover costs arising from administering the aid.

The Red Cross spokesman says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies requires that it limits administrative expenses to 6.5 %. it had managed to keep its administrative costs down to 1.66 % during its last major crisis relief campaign - the SARS outbreak in 2003.