Magnitude 6.1 quake hits Sichuan, China: USGS

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook Sichuan province in China on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, five days after a massive tremor killed tens of thousands of people.

USGS reported the latest earthquake, which follows scores of slightly less strong aftershocks during the week, was nearly 50 miles deep and hit 49 miles west of Guangyuan.

The quake hit as thousands of Chinese fled their homes on Saturday amid fears a lake could burst its banks, hampering rescue efforts after Monday's 7.9 earthquake killed about 29,000 people.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1746452020080517

[hedgehog]

1. kick for some real news - and prayers and best wished for the

people in China!

[annabanana]

2. Oh Dear.. not again! This is going to made everything even HARDER

for those poor people. (I hope the dams hold)

Dear God.

[RL3AO]

3. I think thats the strongest aftershock so far.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Damn..my brother just left to visit the area

2 days ago....

[Robbien]

4. Oh my god, that is the area the refugees are camped out

From the NYT this morning:

Thousands of earthquake survivors fled tent camps and villages across the ravaged landscape of southwestern China on Saturday after the government warned that several lakes and rivers were getting dangerously close to overflowing because landslides have blocked water flow.

. . .

The greatest danger of flooding came from a lake in the far north of Sichuan Province that had already begun to overflow because of a blockage in the Qingzhu River, according to the Xinhua news agency, citing experts at the province’s land management department.

A rise of only 6 to 10 feet will cause the lake to “threaten more than 2,000 people who are staying in shelters after the earthquake downstream,” said one expert.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/world/asia/18china.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

So now that Sichuan refugee area has been hit with an earthquake???

Those poor people.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. I cannot imagine what they must be going through.

They must be terrified.

[tabasco]

5. Is 3 Gorges Dam in a seismic-safe area?

I'm wondering if the dam is a disaster waiting to happen.

[Robbien]

6. Not really. But 3 Gorges is safe from THIS earthquake

Reports came out earlier that 3 Gorges was not damaged by this quake. There were reports that as many as a dozen other dammed reservoirs were compromised by this quake. Teams of engineers are out there right now fixing the dams.

[zeemike]

16. I read of concerns when they started the 3 gorges dam

That the weight of the water in the reservoir could cause earthquakes. I just wonder....

[lovuian]

9. My prayers go out for the people of China

this is so sad

[medeak]

10. had a 6.0 in Feb where I live

hardly mentioned in media. did heavy damage

[pnwmom]

15. Maybe your area isn't heavily populated?

I hope you did okay.

[Bigmack]

11. Watching the video of the victims...

reminded me again of the universality of the human experience. Those poor folks are just like us... they value their kids, they're pissed at government inefficiency, they work hard to save people.

I think we gotta keep that separated from the other view of China.... tainted dog food, China buying our debt, everything made in China, etc.

Like Dumbya isn't us... the Chinese government isn't them.

[Musty]

12. Do any of you think that nature fights back, sometimes?

China is one of the worst polluters in the world. They don't even try to mitigate the damage they do to the environment. Maybe nature has had enough of their destruction?

[earthlover]

13. Oh WOW! That is almost like the right wing religious nuts saying sin caused natural disasters!

Have you considered joining a right wing church? Seems to be in tune with your karma.

[uppityperson]

14. I don't. I think of it more that mankind is not all empowered in the world.

Hurricanes don't happen because of sinners. Earthquakes don't happen because the politics of the administration of a country pollutes.

I think of Countries as artificial human made designations. A person standing 1 ft away from another could be in a different country, yet still affected by the same weather, or by the same earthquake.

If "nature" really were to fight back, it would go after the leaders and those who do the nasty stuff, not the general population.

Edited to add, I see on your profile you ask won't someone please torture bush and cheney. I don't like your attitude here, don't seem very progressive.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[uppityperson]

20. You sure don't deal with someone disagreeing very well, do you?

Childish insults are your forte when challenged, eh? Spouting foolishness and insults is also not very progressive.

[Hannah Bell]

19. right. & the SF earthquake is cause of gays, & katrina was -

uh, i dunno, god was pissed at poor black people.

china's claim to being biggest polluter is of recent vintage. we once held it, yet here we are, saying dumb things at du.