One of the towns worst hit in last month’s devastating China earthquake has been sealed off to prevent diseases from spreading, after having been opened just briefly, state media said yesterday.
More than 600 police officers have been posted around southwest China’s Beichuan town, which was nearly flattened in the May 12 quake, to prevent anyone from entering, Xinhua news agency reported.
RISK OF DISEASES
Tan Jiamin, Beichuan County’s head of police, said the empty city would remain closed down for “a long time” because the rising temperatures increased the risk of epidemic, Xinhua said.
Beichuan, a town of about 12,000 that reportedly lost half its residents in the disaster, was reopened only recently to allow people to go back to find vital possessions left behind after the quake.
CHAOTIC SCENES
The chaotic scenes that followed once the town was reopened forced authorities to close it down soon after its reopening.
“Some local residents were digging for their family members with their bare hands, which can easily cause infection,” Tan told Xinhua.
CONTAMINATION
Contaminated carcasses could trigger diseases like avian influenza, encephalitis B and rabies, while the earthquake may also heighten the risk of infection of anthrax or tetanus, earlier reports said.
The death toll from the earthquake, China’s most lethal in a generation, stood at 69,186 as of Friday, while 18,457 were counted as missing, Xinhua said.
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