Braving cold, quake rescuers race against time on world's highest plateau

LHASA -- Just half an hour after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, Dondrup Tsering got to work, combing through the debris as he searched for survivors.

"My colleagues and I used our hands to dig through ruined homes and pull out buried people," said Dondrup Tsering, a local police officer of Tibetan ethnic group. His face was marred by dust and sweat, and his fingernails were stuffed with dirt and blood when he talked to Xinhua in a quake-shattered village Gurum, one of the worst hit villages in the area.

The strong earthquake that struck around 9 am Tuesday has toppled thousands of rural houses. By Tuesday midnight, a total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured.

The epicenter of the earthquake is located in Tsogo township of Dingri county in the city of Shigatse. An all-out rescue operation has been ongoing in 27 quake-hit villages within a 20-km radius of the epicenter, where approximately 6,900 people reside.

Dondrup Tsering, from the Dingri county public security bureau, said villagers barely had time to put on their clothes as it was still early in the morning local time, with some rushing out of their rooms wrapped in quilts. Tragically, some were buried by the collapsed walls.

With an average altitude of 4,500 meters, Dingri county is home to the northern base camp of Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest peak. It is one of the most populous border counties in Xizang, which has a population of over 60,000.

Adding to the rescue difficulties, temperatures plummeted below minus 10 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night. However, more and more rescuers, including firefighters, police officers and soldiers, have arrived at the scene.

Armed with flashlights and aided with sniffer dogs, the rescuers worked non-stop over the night in the hope of saving as many people as they can within the first 72 hours of "golden period" after the disaster.

From morning to sunset, Dondrup Tsering and his team pulled 17 villagers out of the debris.

FIRST NIGHT AFTER EARTHQUAKE

As the search and rescue efforts went on, 170,000 urgently needed items such as quilts, blankets, cotton coats, stoves and instant noodles were shipped to the disaster area.

Meanwhile, thanks to the emergency repairs, power was restored at 10 am on Tuesday, just an hour after the quake in Gurum village. By around 5 pm, all residents had moved into makeshift tents.

In the two resettlement areas in Gurum village, over 30 tents were set up, with stoves lit inside to keep the evacuees warm through the night.

As temperatures dropped below zero at approximately 7:30 pm, the first batch of bedding arrived on-site, ready for distribution.

"The main challenge today is the low temperatures; however, the arrival of bedding has addressed this issue," said Sangye, a village official overseeing the resettlement sites. Each resident received at least two blankets and a cotton mattress.

Migmar, 57, shared a tent with another family. She also received bottled water and snacks to help her through the night.

Additional stoves were expected to be installed the next day to help residents prepare butter tea and tsampa, staples beloved by Tibetans. More quake-relief materials are on the way.

By midday Tuesday, over 60 soldiers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had arrived in Gurum village to assist with rescue efforts.

"We plunged ourselves into the rescue efforts as soon as we arrived," said military officer Kelsang. "When the people saw us, they shouted, 'The PLA has come!' Hearing this makes it all worthwhile, no matter how challenging or exhausting it is."

So far, they have rescued 12 injured people and 79 livestock. As night fell, they lit stoves and prepared meals for the residents.

By 8 pm, despite occasional aftershocks, the village's streetlights were illuminated, and the stoves kept the tents warm inside.

In the tents, many people lit butter lamps to pray for their loved ones and fellow villagers who lost their lives in the earthquake.

Outside the tents, soldiers and relief workers were pitching more tents and cooking porridge, eggs, and ginger soups for the settlers.

"When a new day dawns with the morning light, tomorrow is another day," said Kelsang.