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Doing Everything for the Valuable Lives of the Wounded
At around 19:38, September 8, when a motor vehicle carrying explosives ready to be destroyed ran to the Xishan Road section on the outskirts of Urumqi, it suddenly blasted, causing a heavy toll of 60 deaths and 173 injuries as well as damage to more than 20 motor cars and some houses.
After the occurrence of this unfortunate incident, the Party Central Committee and the State Council devoted much attention to it. General Secretary Jiang Zemin who was attending the UN Millenium Summit in New York City gave important written instructions. The Party Central Committee and the State Council immediately sent out work teams which hurried to the scene that very night to express sympathy and solicitude for the wounded and investigate into the situation. Premier Zhu Rongji who was on an inspection tour of Xinjiang immediately delegated Deputy Secretary-general Ma Kai and others of the State Council to go to the scene to express sympathy for and rescue the injuries and acquaint themselves with the situation there. On the morning of September 10, Premier Zhu paid a special visit to the Xinjiang Armed Police Hospital to see the wounded and medical workers. Hu Jintao, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese vice-president, also made important instructions concerning the accident, requiring that work related to the aftermath of the accident be done well. Li Lanqing, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice-premier, instructed that the Ministry of Health send out medical teams to go to Xinjiang to guide and help in the rescue and treatment of the wounded. The Ministry of Health organized an expert team that same night which hurried to Urumqi at the fastest possible pace.
Immediately after the occurrence of the accident, departments concerned of the Party committee and government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region went into emergency actions. Secretary of the Party committee, and chairman of the government, of the autonomous region, rushed to the scene. Leaders of the Xinjiang Military Area Command and Armed People's Police, and the Party secretary and mayor of Urumqi also hurried to the spot. They joined the great multitude of enthusiasts in the rescue work.
In less than 10 minutes after the explosion, intense and orderly rescue work was in full swing, 39 fire trucks and 246 fire fighters, defying the danger of another possible explosion, went all out to quench the fire; officers and soldiers of the PLA and armed police as well as public security people's policemen braved all danger to rescue people out of the flaming and smoky vehicles, 38 ambulances and 141 first-aid workers also rescued survivors one after another.. Some slightly wounded people also volunteered to join in the rescue work.
The Health department of the autonomous region, the health bureau of Urumqi, officers and soldiers of PLA and armed people's police lost no time to notify affiliated hospitals of the need to do a good job in receiving, rescuing and treating the injuries. They required that all hospitals should do this work at all costs. To ensure the smooth proceeding of this work, blood supply in all these hospitals was fully normal. The expert team composed of eight burn and traumatic specialists from Xinjiang medical circles went separately to various local hospitals to hold group consultation, rescue and treat the seriously wounded. At present, the state of injury of all the wounded has been kept under control. So far, there is not any wounded whose traumatic condition is aggravated because he or she was not rescued and treated in time or medical measures were not put in place.
On the morning of September 9, the Party committee of the autonomous region held an emergency conference to make arrangements for the work concerning rescue and aftermath of the accident. At about the wee hour of two, o'clock, the city Party committee and government of Urumqi also held an emergency conference at which a deputy secretary of the city Party committee and deputy mayor of Urumqi were assigned to give concrete direction to the aftermath work. At around 11:00 of that day, the Urumqi city government summoned responsible members of the city's united front work department, the civil affairs bureau, the public security bureau, the ethnic affairs commission, the health bureau, the education bureau, the labor bureau and the people's court to a meeting, three to five persons from each of these work units were transferred to form a work team for the aftermath of the September 8 explosion accident, which immediately started working. At the same time, the Xiniang Uygur Autonomous Region and Urumqi City have allocated a special sum of money for the aftermath work.
After the occurrence of the accident, local PLA officers and soldiers risked their lives to hurry to the scene, they immediately cleared off the remaining explosives and transported these hazardous articles safely to the outskirts for destruction. In an effort to help the masses whose houses were damaged to return to normal life as soon as possible, the army leaders and officers and soldiers actively repair damaged houses for the masses.
Over the past two days, thanks to the loving care of the Party and State leaders and the all-out support extended by various social circles, all the injuries have been given timely treatment, some slightly wounded people have left the hospital after receiving treatment, normal order has been restored to the scene of the accident. Because various items of work were done in time, the psychology of Urumqi residents has become secured, a quiet and happy atmosphere, as usual, prevails in holiday Urumqi.
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