The death toll has reached 32,000 lives but this number is expected to go into the 50,000 mark for many are still missing in the collapsed rubble that used to be schools and buildings that have been found to have been made not to earthquake standards set by the government. The Chinese government has promised to look into the matters but they insist that the main priority today a week after the killer quake was still saving lives.
Rescue workers move from area to area searching through the rubble with family members wailing in the distance crying for their lost loved ones. As they fail to find anyone to rescue, they move on to the next location much to the discontent of the helpless parents and family members who continue to dig as they try to find the bodies of their loved ones whom they know are still deep in the ruins. Amidst warnings from the UN’s Health experts have had the government mobilize disinfection teams to the many affected areas to spray disinfectants all around the temporary housing areas due to fears of disease outbreaks. They have also advised the government to begin burying the dead for they are continuing to pile up in temporary morgues where they pose a serious health risk.
The government acted swiftly and the international community has taken the call for help but little can be done for the rescue efforts for the extreme length of time and aftershocks have further settled the already mangled buildings. The rescue effort is in the final stages and soon would be turned into a recovery operation to remove dead bodies for proper disposal which if left alone creates the perfect conditions for disease. The death toll is rising slowly as more and more bodies are being pulled. Last Saturday, 165 people were rescued alive including an elderly woman who raised the hopes of rescuers and citizens alike. But time is against any other survivor for the human body can only survive a few days without water and adding injuries to the mix, chances of survival are continuing to fade. The government has announced that the torch relay has been suspended for now and that an official three day mourning holiday is in effect to allow people to mourn for their lost loved ones.
Originally posted on May 19, 2008 @ 6:19 am