China has yet again been hit by an earthquake in the province of Sichuan on Wednesday. The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.0 on the richter scale, and was 10km deep. It has left around 19 people dead and a huge number, approximately 247, of people have been left injured due to the quake in the south western side of the province.
Among these 19 people, six tourists are also believed to be dead. This increases the responsibility on the Chinese state, as foreign nationals are involved in the catastrophe. Around 45,000 people have been evacuated from the area due to possible chances of a re-occurrence. More than 1000 aftershocks have been detected by China’s Earthquake Administration (CEA).
An earthquake of a magnitude of around 6.7 has also been recorded in the remote area of XinJiang, and 32 people have been injured as a result.
Sichuan is the same province which was hit by an earthquake back in 2008. The magnitude of that earthquake was so high that it resulted in the death of more than 87,000 people.
Natural disasters have the tendency to completely alter the outlook of an area, and to reduce the development to zero. It not only results in the loss of lives but also resources, and a huge sum of money is required to make up for that loss. This is in terms of infrastructure, services, and input in the economy. Rehabilitation of these internally displaced persons requires a lot of planning.
In this difficult time, we stand by our Chinese friends and sympathise with the lives that are lost. Despite the internal havoc in Pakistani politics, our leaders should reach out to China and offer whatever help that we can possibly provide. China is one country that has stood by us through thick and thin, and the more often we reciprocate that, the better.