Yesterday afternoon a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Sichuan Province. That’s way out in the middle of China, but even people in Beijing and Shanghai and neighboring countries felt it. (I didn’t. Probably depends on the foundation.) For comparison with the SF Bay Area, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was also a 7.8. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was 6.9.
I’ve been to Yunnan Province, just south of Sichuan, and if I remember right the buildings were mostly made of concrete – not something that would be able to withstand a major earthquake. (Californians think about this stuff.) I imagine Sichuan buildings are probably the same, and today the death toll estimate has passed 10,000. I had a feeling it’d be bad when I first heard about it, but wasn’t expecting such a big number.
Go to Shanghaiist.com for more info. They’re doing an excellent job keeping updated with the news.
(Photo: Xinhua, Wang Jianhua)
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Tags: Beijing, California, China, Shanghai
The news said people at the top of the Shanghai Jinmao Tower also felt it.and can felt it shaked about 0.9m at the top of that tower.
From people said there have 50 self-bombers from Tibet in shanghai and beijing now.Already have cought about 13 people.
Suicide bombers? Where did you hear that?
yesss from my teacher.And many chinese people talk about this also.and he told us dont go public too much.who knows it is true or not…
Hope not.