If you ever need one really good reason for being thankful for being born in Singapore, this next one should do it.
Singapore is rarely ever affected by natural disasters.
Being situated in one of the most ideal geographical locations in the world, we are pretty much safe from disasters that plague other countries, such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
The tragedy of natural disasters is that they are mostly unpreventable and caused by Mother Nature herself, with no one to blame for casualties and damages other than misfortune.
And if you needed a reminder of our blessing, here’s one that just came in yesterday (17 June 2019)
6.0 Magnitude Earthquake In Sichuan, China
Yesterday night, while you were either sleeping (hopefully) or binge-watching drama series (hopefully not), tragedy struck the citizens of Sichuan, China.
The capital Chengdu’s early warning system was triggered about one minute before the disaster, and the alarm in Yibin City of Sichuan was rung 10 seconds before.
While 10 seconds does seem very short, Xinhua news agency stated that a mere 3-second head start could prevent 14 per cent of casualties.
12 dead and 134 injured has been reported as of 12 pm of 18 June.
9 casualties were from the Changning county while 3 were from the Qixian county.
More than 4000 people have also been relocated due to damaged and collapsed buildings and structures.
Massive Rescue Efforts
More than 500 firefighters have been dispatched along with rescue personnel equipped with 5000 tents, 10,000 folding cots, and other emergency supplies.
7 people have been rescued and more than 50 people are being treated at hospitals, while 6 bodies have been recovered as a result of their efforts.
The area was also hit with at least 4 aftershocks, the strongest of which clocked at 5.1 magnitude.
Sichuan is a frequent target of earthquakes, with a prominent massive tragedy in 2008 killing over 87,000 people with a 7.9 magnitude earthquake.
3 earthquakes also hit the Rongxian county earlier this year in February, killing 2 people and injuring 12.
While we keep the victims of this disaster in our prayers, let us also salute the firefighters and rescuers hard at work, putting their own lives at risk for others.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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