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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

China warns of burst dams as quake death toll rises

2008-05-15

The death toll from China's deadliest earthquake in decades climbed to nearly 15,000 on Wednesday, as officials warned of calamities downstream from broken rivers and dams strained to bursting point.

Tens of thousands of troops, firefighters and civilians raced to save more than 25,000 people buried across a wide swathe of southwest Sichuan province under collapsed schools, factories and hospitals after Monday's 7.9 magnitude quake.

Many schoolchildren were buried as they were taking an afternoon nap. One body of a boy was found still clutching a pen.

The official death toll climbed to 14,866, as rescuers pulled at tangled chunks of buildings for signs of life.

The government sent 50,000 troops to dig for victims. A paramilitary officer who arrived at Wenchuan, at the epicenter, told Sichuan TV a third of houses there had been destroyed and more than 90 percent damaged.

Posted by:Fred

#16 Brick doesn't do well in quakes, as the residents of Coalinga, CA discovered a few decades ago

brick is a fascia at best, and even then, requires active anchorage connections (48" o.c. max in CA seismic zones) to wood or CMU structural systems. It tends to "discover" its' lack of steel tension reinforcement (rebar) at the worst times....

Posted by: Frank G 2008-05-15 22:09

#15 Interesting comment about one dam:

A detail regarding Zipingpu. The Zipingpu dam is not solid cement: it is a rubble-filled, cement-cased structure. This type of dam is far more prone to delayed failure than a classic cement dam. The fact that it has at least one 4″ crack in the casing almost guarantees that interior has shifted significantly.

Posted by: Zhang Fei 2008-05-15 21:04

#14 I've heard that the 3 gorges dam wasn't effected (though I wouldn't be surprised if they lied about it).

That dam is hundreds of miles away from the epicenter. I would be surprised if it were affected.

Posted by: Zhang Fei 2008-05-15 17:04

#13 Brick doesn't do well in quakes, as the residents of Coalinga, CA discovered a few decades ago.

Posted by: lotp 2008-05-15 16:25

#12 China has had the deadliest earthquakes ever recorded in history. I suppose that sound building practices are normal there. They do a lot of multi story buildings, and they have used bamboo traditionally as high scaffolding. It's both strong, light weight, and versitile. Also, labor is readily available so, don't assume the Chinese can't or won't make sound structures, rather consider the power of the quake. Most of the buildings remain standing in the same area where others collapsed. I also noticed in some pictures, thick brick and mortar walls among the rubble. Nothing 'cheap' showing poor construction.

Posted by: wxjames 2008-05-15 16:14

#11 RJ, that is a multinested strawman you got there. And I say it as an agnostic. Knock it off, will ya?

Posted by: twobyfour 2008-05-15 15:36

#10 Question answered further down the page.
thank you to all.

Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-05-15 14:16

#9 Question: Looking at Drudge today, the article he has shows a US made Sikorsky Blackhawk sitting in a field; markings look to be civilian registration. Did we sell some to the CHicoms?

Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-05-15 14:11

#8 Yup, "Gods Will" again, see how many praise god over this mass murder?

Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-05-15 13:36

#7 broken rivers?

Whao! Not since the 1812 New Madrid quake have rivers shifted.

But, "broken"?

Posted by: Bobby 2008-05-15 12:47

#6 Don't forget that if you want to find out where the Hayward fault is, draw a line between the East Bay schools and hospitals.

Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-05-15 11:43

#5 I've heard that the 3 gorges dam wasn't effected (though I wouldn't be surprised if they lied about it).
BUT, if these other dams go, where does the water go? Could it flow into the lake from 3 Gorges? If so, what would that sudden influx do?

Posted by: AlanC 2008-05-15 11:41

#4 I've heard that the 3 gorges dam wasn't effected (though I wouldn't be surprised if they lied about it).
BUT, if these other dams go, where does the water go? Could it flow into the lake from 3 Gorges? If so, what would that sudden influx do?

Posted by: AlanC 2008-05-15 11:28

#3 And remember the One Child Policy.

Posted by: mom 2008-05-15 09:28

#2 yeah this never seems too happen too the ones who deserve it. And i would bet that china has more thatn 50,000 troops on tibets border

Posted by: sinse 2008-05-15 07:36

#1 Lots of only children under the schoolhouse rubble. I shouldn't want to be the building inspectors that took bribes from the construction companies.

Posted by: trailing wife 2008-05-15 07:23

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