Xizang quake victims given new homes

Tashi Thacho, 81, remembers the day in early January when a powerful earthquake destroyed his home.

"When the earthquake happened, most of the houses in our village collapsed or were severely damaged. Many cows were killed, and our family property was buried under the debris," said the resident of Zingkar village, part of Dingri county in the Xizang autonomous region. He said the family evacuated to safer areas nearby and was provided with basic necessities, including food, tents and medical care.

Reconstruction is still ongoing in Dingri after the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the county and nearby areas on Jan 7, killing 126 people and destroying thousands of homes.

Thacho visited his village — which was one of the hardest-hit areas — almost every day to check the progress of the reconstruction effort. After months of work, he and his family finally moved back to the village on Friday. They now live in a two-story concrete building, which was given to them for free.

"We had been staying in makeshift houses over the past few months, and now we finally got our new home," he said.

More than 12,000 quake-affected residents from 2,578 households in Dingri and other parts of Shigatse also moved into new homes on Friday, marking significant progress in post-disaster reconstruction.

Newly built Tibetan-style houses were erected quickly with quality construction, replacing the debris that once filled the villages.

A move-in ceremony was held on Friday in Zingkar, drawing hundreds of villagers, construction workers and officials to celebrate the completion of the homes.

Zhuang Yinong, a manager with Shanghai Construction Group that oversaw the building effort in Zingkar, said the houses were rebuilt to meet an 8-degree seismic fortification standard.

"The design fully takes into account the living habits and actual needs of local residents, and the houses are equipped with essential infrastructure such as solar energy, water, electricity and internet, ensuring that the residents can move in safely and comfortably," Zhuang told Xinhua News Agency.

Pang Jian, an official with the housing and urban-rural development bureau of Shigatse, said rehousing efforts are progressing well.

"By Aug 20, an additional 1,145 households with 8,329 residents will gradually move into their new homes, and it is expected that by the end of October, all affected residents will move into their new homes so that they can have warm places for the winter," Pang said.