Latest news from PLA headquarters for earthquake rescue and relief

Related Special Report

China's War on Strong Earthquake

photos

Drainage of China's main quake lake goes smoothly

PLA commander: No collapsing danger for quake lake dam in forseeable period

Helicopter airlifts tons of dynamites to Tangjiashan quake lake

Radar men show way for helicopters in search operation

Potential landslides force thousands to evacuate in quake hit area

3000 from quake-hit county evacuated, resettled

New family, new life

Medical Equipment Research Institute sends new-type medical equipment to quake relief frontline

Search for crashed relief helicopter continues

Helicopter crashes while on duty in quake zones

Producer & Editor: Zhao Xianfeng, Ji Guilin, Yang Liming, Dong Zhaohui, Chen Jie, Fan Aifeng

Relief troops continue to work at Tangjiashan quake lake

　　On June 12, the relief troops continued to defuse dangerous situation and clean up debris at the Tangjiashan quake lake.

2008-06-13 10:38:19

18 people killed in helicopter crash

　　A Mi-171 helicopter of an army aviation regiment of the Chengdu Military Area Command crashed on May 31 was found on the morning of June 10 after intensive search operation and all the bodies of the victims aboard the crashed helicopter were also found.

2008-06-12 11:13:48

Dangerous situation basically defused at Tangjiashan quake lake

　　Since the Tangjiashan quake lake began to discharge water at 07:00 on June 7, the rate of water flow has gradually increased and the water level in the lake has steadily gone down.

2008-06-11 11:00:00

Special elements sent to Tangjiashan to reinforce drainage operation

　　On June 9, a unit of the Chengdu Military Area Command stationed in Yunnan Province promptly sent an engineer element made up of 120-odd officers and men, plus 2 rubber boats and a 7-person pontoon bridge element, to Tangjiashan.

2008-06-11 11:00:54

Search team turns to waters for mishap helicopter

　　The Joint Earthquake Rescue and Relief Headquarters of the Chengdu Military Area Command stayed with the operation of searching for the mishap helicopter on June 8 with a massive involvement of 9,300-odd troops.

2008-06-09 11:34:32

Troops continue to work at Tangjiashan quake lake

　　On June 8, the engineering troops, made up of a unit of the Chengdu Military Area Command stationed in Yunnan Province and the Armed Police Water Conservancy and Electricity Power Unit, continued their excavation operation on the dam of the Tangjiashan quake lake.

2008-06-09 11:34:40

Relief troops continue to assist local governments to resettle disaster victims

　　On June 5, various relief troops continued to assist local governments to resettle the quake victims

2008-06-06 11:42:26

Troops continue search for crashed helicopter by sci-tech means

　　On June 5, troops continued the search for crashed helicopter with the aid of scientific and technological means including aerial radar remote sensing.

2008-06-06 09:53:16

17,000 troops continue to search for crashed helicopter

　　The search for crashed helicopter continued on June 4 and the number of ground troops scouting for the crashed helicopter reached 17,000. 4 helicopters were also sent out to fly 11 sorties to search from the air.

2008-06-05 10:57:12

Relief troops search for crashed helicopter

　　On June 3, the relief troops in Sichuan's quake-hit areas sent out 12,000 officers and men, and three helicopters to fly 19 sorties, to search for the crashed helicopter.

2008-06-04 11:03:21

Relief troops continue to search crashed helicopter

　　In order to search and rescue the crashed helicopter and the people on board, the relief troops sent out over 8,000 people, five helicopters to fly 27 sorties and adopted various technical means to search the missing helicopter.

2008-06-03 10:24:44

Magnificent festive gift to children in quake-hit areas

　　It was the International Children's Day yesterday. Before the International Children's Day, the relief troops worked longer hours to build temporary schools to help 9,715 pupils and students in quake-hit areas to resume their classes, which is really a magnificent festive gift for the children in the disaster areas.

2008-06-02 08:30:03

Troops evacuate from Tangjiashan barrier lake

　　The Armed Police Water Conservancy and Electricity Power troops participated in the operation to remove dangerous situation at the Tanjiashan barrier lake had successfully completed the task of digging up a diversion channel at 18:00 on June 1 and started to withdraw from the lake dam site.

2008-06-01 11:33:07

70,000 cubic meters of earth and stone excavated at Tangjiashan barrier lake

　　The emergency operation to defuse the dangerous situation at Tangjiashan barrier lake continued yesterday in spite of rain. 631 officers and men of the Armed Police Water Conservancy and Electricity Power Unit and 46 engineering machineries worked around the clock to dig the diversion channel. So far, they have excavated 70,000 cubic meters of earth and stone.

2008-05-30 11:28:50

Earth work of diversion channel of Tangjiashan barrier lake goes smoothly

　　As of 16:00 of May 28, 38,000 cubic meters of earth has been removed from the diversion channel of the Tangjiashan barrier lake. At present, the water level in the lake is 18 meters below the top of the dam. The excavators and other machineries are working non-stop to dig the diversion channel.

2008-05-29 11:30:10

18,000 cubic meters of earth excavated at Tangjiashan barrier lake

　　Since heavy excavators and bulldozers were carried to the Tangjiashan barrier lake on May 26, 600 Armed Police water conservancy and electricity power troops have been operating round the clock on the dam to dig a diversion channel. So far, they have excavated 18,000 cubic meters of earth.

2008-05-28 12:42:05

Relief troops help students in quake-hit areas to resume classes

　　In the past few days, the relief troops have gone all out to carry out rescue and relief operations, in the meantime, they have strived to create conditions for students to resume classes. As of May 26, the relief troops have dispatched over 5,000 officers and men to erect tents and makeshift houses for 43 primary schools and 20 middle schools, enabling 13,000-odd students to resume classes.

2008-05-28 10:41:53

PLA sends more anti-epidemic personnel to quake-hit areas in Sichuan

　　In order to further reinforce sanitary and anti-epidemic strength, and upon the approval of the leaders of the Central Military Commission, the PLA transferred another 200 sanitary and anti-epidemic personnel from various units to relieve the disaster areas on the evening of May 25.

2008-05-26 22:21:00

Relief troops race against time to remove dangers at barrier lake

　　On May 25, a unit of the Chengdu Military Area Command organized its officers and men to evacuate over 20,000 people threatened by possible breaching of the barrier lake in Tangjiashan to safer places. On the same day, an airborne unit urgently unblocked 600m-long drainage tunnel in the barrier lake located at Wenjiaba in Nanba Town, Pingwu County, which has alleviated the dangerous situation.

2008-05-26 00:21:31

Troops pitch 67,800 tents for quake-hit areas in Sichuan

　　It is learned from the Office of the PLA Commanding Group Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work that on May 24, the relief troops continued their search-and-rescue operations in remote villages, at the same time, they stepped up efforts to build temporary living facilities for quake victims, such as pitching tents and building prefabricated houses to ensure the basic needs of quake victims.

2008-05-25 18:21:46

Searching for trapped people and helping settle down quake victims

　　On May 22, a group army of the Chengdu Military Area Command dispatched 83 demolition personnel to demolish risky water towers, ramshackle houses and reservoirs' sluice gates in Shifang, Yingxiu Towns in Wenchuan County, and the Huanggongping Reservoir in Mao County.

2008-05-23 17:27:28

Relief troops focus on evacuation and epidemic prevention

　　On May 21, all relief troops continued to go to comb the remote rural areas for stranded people. In the meantime, they started to focus on evacuating the quake-hit people, epidemic prevention and making arrangement for the placement of the local people.

2008-05-23 17:26:50

More epidemic prevention and psychological counseling elements to be sent

　　It is learned on May 21 from the Office of the PLA Command Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work that it decided to send 16 more sanitation and anti-epidemic elements and 8 more psychological counseling elements from Beijing and Shenyang to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province.

2008-05-21 17:24:26

Searching for more survivors in all quake-hit areas

　　It is learned from the Office of the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work that all the relief troops kept on expanding their rescue scope and were racing against the time in combing the hamlets, villages and towns for possible survivors on May 20.

2008-05-21 01:08:37

35,700 tents delivered to quake-hit areas

　　It is learned from the Office of the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work that the quake-hit areas were pounded by rainfalls again on the afternoon of May 20, with some areas being hit by moderate-to-heavy rains, thus adding difficulties to the already hard job of disaster relief.

2008-05-20 20:00:52

"Dragnet" search-and-rescue operations continued

　　The reporter learnt from the Office of the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work that there would be moderate or heavy rain in some of the disaster areas on the afternoon of May 20, which would make the rescue-and-relief operations more difficult.

2008-05-20 11:05:22

Troops enter villages according to set time to carry out rescue operations

　　According to the Office of the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work, on May 19, relief troops seized every second to advance rapidly towards remote villages and enter the villages according to the set time. In the "dragnet" search-and-rescue operation in Taoguan Town and its affiliated mountain villages in Wenchuan County, a division under the Jinan Military Area Command found a survivor who had buried under a dam for 7 days.

2008-05-20 10:01:49

Authoritative information about communication

　　As soon as Sichuan Province was hit by the fatal earthquake, the Military Transportation Department of the General Logistics Department of the PLA started up its emergency mechanism of military transportation and support, sent out forces in charge of land transportation, rail transportation and airlifting to provide transportation support in various ways by cooperating closely with the relevant local departments.

2008-05-19 17:33:16

Authoritative information about POL

　　The first day in the wake of the earthquake witnessed the General Logistics Department of the PLA allocating and transporting 7,500 tons of various POL from rear storage to the disaster stricken areas and contributing 13,600 sets of POL equipment to the troops doing the earthquake rescue and relief. When the quake-hit areas are running short of POL, the military POL system offered emergency supply support at once.

2008-05-19 17:32:41

Authoritative information about special devices

　　In a number of days running, the General Armaments Department of the PLA had urgently purchased 120 sets (pieces) of special equipment and devices for the earthquake rescue and relief, worth of 8.7 million yuan, including portable hydraulic pressure multifunctional pliers, hydraulic roof bar, breakers, punching device, hydraulic smash combination tool, and internal combustion engine cutting machine to the troops in the frontline of the earthquake rescue and relief.

2008-05-19 17:31:57

Authoritative information about food

　　Several hours after the massive earthquake, the General Logistics Department of the PLA allocated 28.15 million yuan worth of disaster relief materials to the Chengdu Military Area Command, of which food formed a large proportion. Later, with the increase of relief officers and men, the PLA General Logistics Department organized airdropping operations to replenish the disaster areas with food.

2008-05-19 17:31:13

Authoritative information about tent

　　At the very night of the massive earthquake, the General Logistics Department of the PLA swiftly allocated all tents stockpiled in the Chengdu Military Area Command to the disaster areas for use. During the following week, the command transported a great number of tents to the quake-hit areas every day.

2008-05-19 17:30:28

Authoritative information about medical treatment

　　In the face of unexpected earthquake, the General Logistics Department of the PLA selected medical workers throughout the PLA and sent 22 medical teams to the disaster stricken areas within 24 hours after the earthquake. Afterwards, it organized 54 medical teams from 22 military hospitals, three military medical universities and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences.

2008-05-19 17:29:45

Main disaster-relief works on May 19

　　The reporter learned from the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief work that the disaster-relief operations have come to their seventh day. As of the afternoon on May 19, disaster-relief troops have been available in all the remote quake-hit villages and townships. All troops still take saving life as the top priority and tried their best to search and rescue survivors. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, hundred times of efforts should be made to save the survived!

2008-05-19 12:37:15

Disaster relief troops set several records on May 18

　　The reporters learnt from the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief work the disaster relief troops including the aviation troops had created four new records in the air action on May 18.

2008-05-19 09:22:58

SAF troops rescue over 50 people

　　The reporters learnt from the operation on-duty office of the headquarters of the Second Artillery Force (SAF) that when the engineering unit of the Second Artillery Force made surveys on the road from Beichuan to Chenjiaba, officers and men found over 50 people trapped in a place 10 kilometers from Beichuan in the northeast.

2008-05-18 19:44:47

SAF engineering unit digs out 1 million yuan cash

　　The reporters learnt from the operation on-duty office of the headquarters of the Second Artillery Force that when the engineering unit of the Second Artillery Force carried out the rescue work at Beichuan Branch of the Agricultural Bank, it excavated over 1 million yuan cash. Currently, the unit was seriously safeguarding the cash and positively contacted the relevant authorities. The excavation was still going on.

2008-05-18 19:43:29

110,000 servicemen brought into disaster relief

　　According to the spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, till 12:00 of May 18, the PLA and the Armed Police Force had dispatched 113,080 persons to the disaster relief, involving 20-odd arms of services, launched 1,069 flights, 92 trains, more than 110,000 pieces of various armaments (including transportation, power generation and telecommunication devices), sent 115 medical teams (including medical teams, epidemic prevention teams and psychological treatment teams), allotted 3.319 million pieces of food, garments and quilts, drugs and tents and transported more than 78,000 tons of various relief supplies.

2008-05-18 17:29:12

Three characteristics in disaster relief

　　The reporters learnt from the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief work that there were three characteristics in the disaster relief on May 18.

2008-05-18 15:27:54

Diagnosis through long-distance consultation survivor buried for 124 hours

　　The reporters learnt from the Health Department of the General Logistics Department of the PLA that the medical team dispatched to Anxian County of Sichuan Province by the Fourth Military Medical University received a special wounded person, namded Kang Dong, who had been buried under the rubble for 124 hours.

2008-05-18 11:45:46

Field mobile hospital arrives at Mianyang

　　The reporters learnt from the Health Department of the General Logistics Department of the PLA that one of the two filed mobile hospitals had left from Zhengzhou City at 3:30 am of May 17 and arrived at Mianyang City in early hours of May 17 after 30-hour-odd driving. The other hospital was on the way and would be sent to worst quake-hit Mianzhu County.

2008-05-18 11:15:20

Disaster relief troops arrive at 58 isolated counties and towns

　　According to news confirmed by the Office of the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work, the disaster relief troops have overcame harsh conditions and arrived at all the 58 isolated counties and towns by 23:23 on May 15. All disaster relief troops immediately inspected the disaster situations and started to carry out rescue and relief work after their arrival.

2008-05-16 11:45:59

61 helicopters from PLA reach quake-hit areas

　　As of 22:10 on May 15, 61 helicopters sent by the PLA have arrived at the quake-hit Sichuan Province. And 15 more helicopters from the CAAC are expected to fly to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province at night on May 15.

2008-05-15 23:00:33

Quake-damaged road from Mianzhu to Beichuan opens to traffic

　　An emergency engineering unit of the Second Artillery Force entrusted with the task of carrying out rescue operation at Beichuan County has managed to finish the repair of the quake-damage road from Mianzhu County to Beichuan County before 18:00 on May 15. In this operation, the officers and men gave full play to the advantages of their engineering equipment and technology, and the repair of the road was done continuously for 22 hours without pausing to rest in spite of intermittent aftershocks.

2008-05-15 22:26:55

Disaster relief troops airlifted to 10 townships and towns

　　A unit of the Chengdu Military Area Command has successfully airlifted its troops via army aviation helicopters to the 10 townships and towns in Beichuan County and Pingwu County, such as Qingpian, Duba, Piankou, Baishi, Sier, Muzuo, Baima, Huya, Huangyang and Kuoda, where roads were badly damaged and contacts with outside were lost. Troops airlifted went to inspect the disaster situations and started immediately to carry out rescue and relief work.

2008-05-15 21:32:18

Latest news from disaster relief troops heading to 58 townships and towns

　　The reporter learned from the Office of the PLA Leading Group for Responding to Emergencies that, as of the press time, the disaster relief troops have arrived at 15 of the 58 isolated townships and towns in the disaster areas and started to carry out rescue and relief work immediately. The 15 townships and towns are Caopo, Mianhu, Yinxing, KeKu and Longxi in Wenchuan County, Jinhua, Tianchi and Qingping in Mianzhu City, Gaochuan and Chaping in An County, Qingxi, Shaba, Qiaolou, Yaodu and Zhuyuan in Qingchuan County. And some troops are now heading for the disaster areas.

2008-05-15 15:45:18

Latest airdropping in quake-hit areas

　　As of the press time, the army aviation has successfully flown its helicopters for 18 sorties and the PLA Air Force has flown its transport airplanes for three sorties to airdrop disaster relief materials to the quake-jolted areas including county seats of Wenchuan and Maoxian, Yingxiu Town of Wenchuan County, Mianzhu and Dujiangyan cities.

2008-05-15 12:06:30

15 paratroopers land in Maoxian County without casualties

　　According to sources from the Office of the PLA Leading Group for Responding to Emergencies that a 15-member airborne reconnaissance task force has successfully landed in an area 1-2 km due west to the Maoxian County seat without any casualties on May 14. After landing, the 15 sky men immediately established the communication link with the frontier joint commanding post of the Chengdu Military Area Command and reported the damage situations in Maoxian County.

2008-05-15 12:05:50

PLA air force and army aviation troops to conduct large-scale airdropping

　　PLA Daily learns from the Office of the PLA Leading Group for Responding to Emergencies that the PLA Air Force and Army Aviation troops will start on May 15 a large-scale airdropping operation including rescuers and disaster relief materials. The preparation work has been completed.

2008-05-15 11:30:06

Three actions by disaster relief troops accelerated

　　The PLA Air Force and Army Aviation troops will start a large-scaled airdropping operation of rescuers and disaster relief materials and the preparation work has been completed. Disaster relief troops will reach the 58 isolated quake-hit townships and towns. Troops will be airlifted to those disaster-hit areas where the troops can't reach on foot. All the military and civilian transport helicopters to support the disaster-hit areas will be available. Some helicopters are on way of transferring.

2008-05-15 09:13:20

Facts and figures about disaster relief work by PLA and APF on May 14

　　As of 22:00 on May 14, 95,000-odd troops from the PLA and the Armed Police Force (APF) have been engaged in the rescue and relief operations, of which more than 81,000 are from the PLA, over 14,000 from the Armed Police Force. Among 95,000-odd troops, 32,600 are reinforced troops, including 4,000 airborne troops, 26,000 marines. The aircraft from the PLA Air Force and the CAAC has flown 262 sorties to airlift and airdrop more than 230 tons of food, medicines and tents for the quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province.

2008-05-15 09:13:00

23 airplanes to airlift reinforced troops by night

　　According to sources from the Office of the PLA Leading Group for Responding to Emergencies, 35 sorties of large and medium airplanes by the PLA Air Force and 90 sorties of helicopters by the Army Aviation on May 14 have airlifted over 2,000 troops and 100 tons of relief materials, and airdropped emergently 30-odd tons of disaster-relief materials to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province. And at one time, 23 more airplanes of the CAAC will airlift reinforced troops to disaster-hit areas at night of May 14.

2008-05-14 22:34:03

Chinese PLA and APF sends 95,000 troops to quake-hit areas

　　As of 12:00 on May 14, the PLA and Armed Police Force (APF) have sent 95,000 troops to the earthquake disaster areas for relief work. The PLA servicemen are from the Chengdu, Jinan, Beijing Military Area Commands, the Navy, the Air Force, the Second Artillery Force and troop units directly affiliated to the PLA four general headquarters/departments. The APF troops come from the Armed Police Sichuan Contingent, the Armed Police Chongqing Contingent and the APF mobilized units.

2008-05-14 17:51:43

Paratroopers land in Maoxian County

　　The first batch of paratroopers landed 1-2 km due west of Maoxian County of Sichuan Province at 11:50 on May 14 to make reconnaissance and report of the local disaster situation.

2008-05-14 16:20:51

CMC decides to dispatch 32,000 more soldiers to quake-hit areas

　　With the approval of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the General Staff Headquarters of the PLA decided to dispatch another 32,000 soldiers to the quake-stricken areas in Sichuan province. The order has delivered to the troops.

2008-05-14 16:20:04

PLA to send another 50 medical teams to quake-hit areas

　　The People's Liberation Army has urgently dispatched another 50 medical teams, consisted of 1,500 medical personnel for rescue efforts in the quake-stricken areas in Sichuan province.

2008-05-14 16:19:45

Airborne reconnaissance element reports disaster situation in Maoxian

　　The source shows that 95 were dead, 800-odd were injured, over 90 were missing, more than 900 were seriously ill, and about 50,000 were stranded, 2,000-odd foreign and domestic tourists were blocked in the townships and towns around the Maoxian County seat, and they need tents and food urgently.

2008-05-14 16:18:07

PLA sends another 50 medical teams to quake-hit areas

　　The People's Liberation Army has urgently dispatched another 50 medical teams, consisted of 1,500 medical staffs for rescue efforts in the quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province. The medical staffs are from PLA hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an, and are expected to fly with a special aircraft of the PLA Air Force to the quake-hit areas today. Then, the medical teams sent by the PLA to the quake-hit areas will amount to 68.

2008-05-14 14:23:27

PLA leading group for earthquake rescue and relief work set up

　　Under the approval of the Central Military Commission, the PLA Leading Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work was established on the morning of May 13 and Chen Bingde, member of the Central Military Commission and chief of general staff of the PLA, officiates as the group leader.

2008-05-14 08:28:01

PLA leading group holds first working meeting

　　A total of 30 persons including deputy leaders of the leading group, who are from the four general headquarters/departments of the PLA, members of the leading group from 12 departments of the four general headquarters/departments of the PLA and leader of the Armed Police Force headquarters, attended the first working meeting. At the meeting, comprehensive arrangements of the next-stage relief work of the PLA were made.

2008-05-14 08:27:21

PLA sends 44,000 troops for relief work

　　As of 13:00 on May 13, the PLA has mobilized 44,000 troops to take part in the relief work. At press time, around 20,000 troops have reached the quake-hit areas.

2008-05-14 08:25:39