One of the worst earthquakes in decades struck central China on Monday, killing nearly 9,000 people, trapping about 900 students under the rubble of their school and causing a toxic chemical leak, state media reported.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated a hilly region of small cities and towns in Sichuan and nearby provinces. The official Xinhua News Agency said 8,533 people died in Sichuan alone and dozens of other deaths were reported in surrounding areas.Xinhua said 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Beichuan county in Sichuan province after the quake, raising fears the overall death toll could increase sharply.
State media said a chemical plant in Shifang city had cratered, burying hundreds of people and spilling more than 80 tons of toxic liquid ammonia from the site.
The earthquake sent thousands of people rushing out of buildings and into the streets hundreds of miles away in Beijing and Shanghai. The temblor was felt as far away as Vietnam and Thailand.
(Read the full story here.)
There are many orphanages in the Sichuan Province. We already wonder all the time, "Is Olivia born yet?" and wonder where in China she may be. But now we start to think, could our baby have been in that earthquake? What about all of our friends waiting for their babies to come home?
We have found that the world seems smaller since we decided to adopt. Like during the food riots in Haiti, and now the earthquake in China, we are more aware of world news, and it hits home and touches our hearts more deeply.
6 comments:
Too overwhelming to take in!!! We are praying here too!!!
It has been a very sad and difficult day and we are keeping everyone in China in our thoughts and prayers, as well as all the waiting adoptive families.
Dawn, our hearts are with yours. It is good to see many becoming "global" Christians. The Lord has His people in every tribe, nation, kindred and tongue. Too often, American Christians have been blinded by a false nationalism. I am proud to be an American and I thank the Lord daily for where He has placed me physically. However, I am now a citizen of a heavenly kingdom that has members from every nation of the earth. Our heart is with our brothers and sisters in China and Haiti and everywhere else they may be.
We always hear about those things but never really think about what it means for 9,000 people to be killed until it's made personal. I hope all the precious little orphans are safe. And I hope you get good news soon. Today would be a great day for me to be out of ibesr and you to get your China referral!!!!!
So sad :( I can't stop thinking about it.
So heartbreaking... beyond my understanding, and I am praying here that God surrounds the people in China....
Post a Comment