Quake-hit areas in China resume school

Curmey Drolma (front) and her classmates learn the knowledge on disaster prevention inside a tent in Maduo County of Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, May 24, 2021. Primary and secondary schools in the quake-hit areas of Maduo County resumed classes on Monday. Curmey Drolma, 16, student of a boarding secondary school in Maduo County, had classes inside tents as temporary classrooms with more than 870 schoolmates on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

XINING, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Elementary and high schools resumed classes on Monday after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit northwest China's Qinghai Province early Saturday.

The earthquake, which jolted Maduo County of the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture at 2:04 a.m. Saturday, has left 18 injured and disrupted the lives of over 32,000 residents from 26 townships in Golog and the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, authorities said Monday.

Among the injured, 17 had been treated and discharged from hospital by 8 a.m. Monday, said Li Jun, an official with the provincial department of emergency management, at a press conference.

One victim remains in hospital and is receiving treatment.

The earthquake occurred in sparsely populated pastoral areas, where brick and wood bungalows are mostly scattered, rescuers said.

The rescue work is almost complete, and the relief work is underway, the task force sent by the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said.

Hou Jiansheng, a member of the team, said an earthquake with a magnitude higher than 7.4 is unlikely, but a 6 magnitude is possible in the area.

Power and water supplies are available at makeshift shelters.

The central and provincial governments have allocated 69 million yuan (10.7 million U.S. dollars) for earthquake relief, and distributed materials including coal and heating devices.

Traffic on all major roads leading to the affected area has resumed as of Monday morning, according to the provincial department of transport.

Dou Xiaoyan, director of the provincial ecological and environmental monitoring center, said the local ecology and environment are relatively stable, with no abrupt environmental incidents triggered by the quake.

Located in the source area of the Yellow River, China's second-largest waterway, Maduo County is of important ecological value on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Also, on Monday, senior high school students in graduating classes resumed school in Yangbi County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. Those of other grades will resume class gradually, according to the county's education and sports bureau. The water supply of the quake-hit area also resumed.

Several hours before the Qinghai quake, four earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 5.0 struck Yangbi from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday.

Three people were killed and dozens injured in the quakes so far.

Zhang Shiwei, Party chief of Yangbi County, said the county activated an emergency response after several minor quakes occurred from May 18 and evacuated residents immediately after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurred, which helped reduce the casualties.

The better quality of houses in the rural area, an outcome of the local poverty alleviation efforts, was another reason for the smaller death toll, Zhang added.

A total of ten task forces from different central government bodies, including the MEM and the Ministry of Natural Resources, were dispatched to Yunnan and Qinghai to help with disaster relief.