The disastrous earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 has left more than 7,300 dead, 14,000 others injured, and hundreds of thousands homeless in the heavily-populated Kathmandu valley and nearby areas. The South Asian mountain country did suffer a lot.[Special coverage]
As the sudden natural and humanitarian disaster struck, China, as one of Nepal's immediate neighbors, swiftly acted while it strove to launch rescue operations in its quake-impacted Tibet Autonomous Region, dispatching dozens of rescue squads and medical teams to Nepal to extend a helping hand to the country which is short of disaster relief resources and means.
GOVERNMENT ARRANGES RELIEF AID
One day after the earthquake hit, a Chinese team consisting of over 60 rescuers, medical workers and earthquake experts landed in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, which was the first heavy-equipped international rescue team recognized by the United Nations.
Upon their arrival, the Chinese rescue workers immediately rushed to the worst-hit areas and six hours later they rescued a survivor and 34 hours later they excavated another survivor, a man who had been trapped for 62 hours.
Under the arrangement of the UN and the Nepalese government, the Chinese rescue teams have begun to coordinate the rescue operation west of Kathmandu, where teams from Russia, Romania, Malaysia and Singapore also have arrived.
Meanwhile, currently there are five state-level medical teams from China working in Nepal.
Arriving on April 27, a Chinese government's medical team rapidly set up makeshift operation rooms and tent wards. So far, it has received more than 700 patients.
Arriving in the quake-hit area on April 30, a 18-member medical team sent by the Red Cross Society of China drove to the rural areas everyday. So far, it has treated more than 700 injured people.
Also, a 172-member team from the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Nepal, carrying 40 tons of relief goods, including 95 electricity generators and more than 300 tents.
Meanwhile, Chinese medical teams stationed in Nepal also joined in the rescue operations in the increasingly warm weather as the risk of epidemic spread rises.
Chinese medical workers are sparing no efforts to train local medical workers for epidemic prevention and control.
At the request of the Nepalese government, a group of medical workers from southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region entered Nepal via Zham Port around 11 a.m. on Monday to help prevent disease outbreaks in border areas.
A 500-member road-repairing brigade of the Chinese People's Armed Police, along with 180 engineering machines entered Nepal on Sunday to help restore the 114 km road link from Zham Port to Kathmandu.
