Asia-Pacific News

China issues official report on eve of Sichuan quake anniversary

May 11, 2009, 5:40 GMT

Beijing - China published an official report Monday on last year's devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province, on the eve of the quake's first anniversary, a date that will be marked as Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day. The official Xinhua news agency said the official white paper, released by the State Council, or cabinet, shed light on the disaster-prevention work by the government and the public. Xinhua said the May 12, 2008 magnitude-8.0 quake, with the epicenter in Wenchuan of south-west China's Sichuan Province, left more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 374,640 injured. 'China is one of the countries that experiences the most natural disasters,' the report said. 'More than 70 percent of Chinese cities and more than 50 percent of the Chinese population are living in areas vulnerable to serious earthquakes, or meteorological, geological or marine disasters.' Climate change, economic growth and urbanization have put increased pressure on China's resources and environment, it said. The job of preventing and reacting to natural disasters has become 'more serious and complicated,' the white paper said. The country has developed a disaster control and response system in line with China's realities, it said.

Asia-Pacific News

China issues official report on eve of Sichuan quake anniversary

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