Case Study: Earthquake - China, Sichuan

• Magnitude: 7.9


  12th May 2008, 2:28pm
• Primary effects


  • 87,652 died
  • 11,000 killed in collapsed school buildings
  • An estimated 374,000 were injured
  • 5 million were made homeless
  • In Sichuan and neighbouring provinces 5.36 million buildings collapsed and 21 million were damaged
  • Estimated that 32 million farm animals died including over 3 million pigs
  • 2,380 dams were weakened
  • In Beichuan, 80% of the buildings in the old town and 60% in the new town were destroyed
• Secondary effects


  • Many rivers were dammed by the debris from landslides, this created 34 'quake lakes`
  • Two chemical factories/plants collapsed releasing toxic gasses
  • Oil prices dropped over speculation demand from China would fall
  • The whole town of Beichuan was relocated because it was so badly damaged
  • The town was left exactly as it was that day and now serves as a memorial/tourist attraction
  • Because of the one child policy many people lost their only child. The one child policy was consequently relaxed in Sichuan province. There were reports of medical staff being sent to reverse sterilisation operations
• Short term responses


  1. Chinese government sent 140,000 troops by boat, foot and by helicopter

  2. Rescue efforts were impeded by the mountainous terrain

  3. Red Cross distributed more than 150,000 tents and 125,000 quilts and 245,000 pieces of clothing

  4. 20 helicopters were assigned to rescue and relief efforts

  5. 250,000 residents were evacuated from downstream of the unstable Lake Tangjishan (Quake Lake)
• Long term responses


  1. Chinese government had allocated 95bn yen to the relief fund by the end of June 2008

  2. Roads to 248 out of 254 towns in the damaged area were repaired by the 14th June

  3. Banks wrote off debt of survivors who did not have insurance

  4. Chinese government pledged $10 million to the rebuilding fund
• Mitigation:

  ·         Since 1976 (Tangshan earthquake) China has had a stringent building code.

  ·         Introduced more extensive emergency drills in schools.

  ·         700,000 people were trained as disaster reporters who can quickly collect information for regional and central government on the impacts of the earthquake.

  ·         Strengthened early warning systems.

  ·         New emergency management ministry which helps coordinate efforts to reduce risks rather than having them spread over several government departments.