Nepalese people are not alone in fighting the quake

People search for survivors stuck under the rubble of a destroyed building, after an earthquake caused serious damage in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 25, 2015. [Photo/IC]

The death toll in the devastating earthquake of magnitude 8.1 that struck China's neighboring country Nepal at noontime on Saturday has already climbed to more than 2,000. One of the strongest ever tremors in the past couple of years worldwide and the strongest in Nepal in 80 years, it has also caused casualties and property damage in China's Tibet autonomous region.

China has already sent a rescue team with some 60 members to Nepal and the Chinese leaders have sent their condolences to the leaders of Nepal.

Natural disasters know no border and they often catch us unawares. Tremors of similar magnitude struck China's Sichuan and Qinghai provinces in the past decade. We know how desperate the people trapped underneath the collapsed structures are for help. We know how hospitals in Kathmandu valley are in dire need of medicines and facilities to save the lives. We know how commodities such as tents and food are badly needed to help the local residents get through the nights in the open.

That explains why Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent a letter of condolence to his counterpart in Nepal, saying that China is willing to provide whatever emergency aid Nepal needs to respond to the disaster.

In the face of natural disasters, emergency aid and rescue efforts should also know no borders when it comes to endeavors to reduce the suffering and damage. The assistance provided by other countries undoubtedly gives a disaster-hit country and its people the confidence and courage they need to overcome the difficulties and endure the hardships.

As a mountainous and developing country, Nepal and its people will have even more difficulties to overcome in guaranteeing a smooth flow of emergency aid and rescue workers into the valley and getting the injured out of the valley to hospitals.

China will do whatever it can to help its neighbor and so will most of the countries in the rest of the world. A meeting involving several central government departments presided over by foreign minister Wang Yi is in session in Beijing to discuss organizing more emergency aid and medical teams to help Nepal.

Many Chinese people have prayed online for Nepalese people in the tremor-hit areas. They have also shown their respect and concern for the Chinese rescue team, which has already arrived at the site. Nepalese people should know that they are not alone in this time of tragedy.