China allocates 80 million yuan for Xizang earthquake relief

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Baqen County in the city of Nagqu, Xizang, at 10:33 p.m. on Thursday, resulting in 16 deaths and 54 injuries, according to Xinhua. In response, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly allocated 50 million yuan to support rescue operations and assistance to affected residents. Additionally, the National Development and Reform Commission earmarked 30 million yuan from the central budget to help restore damaged infrastructure and public service facilities, bringing the total allocation to 80 million yuan.

China upgraded its national earthquake emergency response from Level IV to Level III and activated a separate Level-IV national natural disaster relief response. The national comprehensive fire and rescue force dispatched a total of 350 rescuers and 83 vehicles for rescue operations. As of 6:30 a.m. on Friday, 120 rescuers and 27 vehicles had arrived in the quake-hit area, while the remaining 230 rescuers and 56 vehicles from the Xizang fire and rescue corps were en route as reinforcements, having all entered Nagqu's administrative area.

The emergency management ministry guided Xizang's emergency management department in arranging for Wing Loong drone deployment to the quake-hit area for disaster reconnaissance. Earlier, as of 4:30 a.m. on Friday, authorities had mobilized relief supplies at the central, regional, municipal and county levels and delivered them in batches to the affected area. These supplies included 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,239 tents, 2,821 folding beds and 4,280 quilts, among other essentials.

The earthquake and subsequent relief efforts highlight the challenges of disaster response in the remote Himalayan region. The allocation of funds and deployment of resources aim to address immediate needs and support recovery. According to Xinhua, the emergency response levels were adjusted to coordinate the large-scale rescue and relief operations.