Day 2 May 13 2008, Tuesday

Death toll at end of day: 12,012
Buried: 9,404
Missing: 7,841

Communication and transport links to three affected towns, Yingxiu, Xuankou, Wolong, with a combined population of 24,717, remain completely cut off. Wolong is also home to a famous panda reserve. No news on the safety of the endangered animals. - China's People's Daily

Beijing designates 2 million RMB to Wolong Reserve which houses 64 giant pandas. Wenchuan County – the epicentre - is home to 39 panda reserves. 68 pandas at Chengdu and Ya-an Reserves are safe- xinhuanet

20,000 troops from the Chinese army are despatched to Sichuan province – China's People's Daily

VIDEO OF THE DAY

A montage set to song of the distraught, tragedy, hope and prayers.*



* video was added after this post was made.

Background on the region hit by the earthquake

Millions of tourists have been in this earthquake zone, but not many, apart from domestic tourists will recall the names of the towns near the epicentres. They would simply have been just some of the faceless, nondescript Chinese towns they passed, on their way of the crown jewel of not just Sichuan province but China itself, the Jiuzhaigou National Park.

Within Jiuzhaigou National Park, the climate changes in one day literally as it encompasses alpine forests and lakes at more than 4000 metres above sea level and lakes of vivid reds and greens, blues and yellows amid temperate lush at lower altitudes. Its changing scenery every season makes it one of the most visited sights in China, its wilderness in one of the least developed parts of Sichuan as much a draw as it is a hindrance.

The Rough Guide to China called it a journey “ not something to be contemplated by anyone who demands creature comforts”. Just over five years ago, a trip from Chengdu, Sichuan province's capital, to some of the most remote areas hit by the earthquake in the north would take the better part of two days, some 36 hours by bus. The distance as the crow flies is less than 500 km. Even getting to Mianyang town which is less than 200km away would take five hours.

By this year, the road conditions have been improved and the journey time has been halved, but it still remains an exhausting travel, along hairpin bends carved out of the side of mountains, that tower 3 km above, or more sometimes, with a quick fall into the ravine threatening any missteps. The road seems barely sufficient for one vehicle to pass, though it serves a two-directional traffic.

Often during summer, rains would make these roads impassable. Up till February, the melting winter snows also make this a treacherous drive, cutting off villages and towns along this highway. Now it is the landslides triggered by the quake and its hundreds of aftershocks that block the advance of rescue workers.

Crushed cars and giant rocks lying along the narrow path testify to the destruction wreaked on the area. Rescuers are forced to proceed by foot as there is no way, literally, ahead for their vehicles, hindering just how much supplies they can bring to those who desperately need them on the other side.