After the quake

After the quake

Lushan, China
14 images
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Song Zhengqiong holds her daughter and cries in front of the remains of her home, destroyed by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. She still owes the bank 40,000 yuan ($6,480), borrowed to build the house that now lies in ruins.

Song is one of many feeling the effects of the quake that struck on April 20, killing nearly 200 and injuring thousands.

. BAOXING, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A soldier named Zhang Bin carries a 60-year-old survivor as he runs down a stretch of the road to Lingguan township which was recently cleared of debris caused by the disaster.

The earthquake hit Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an, in Sichuan province, triggering distressing memories of a 7.9 quake that occurred in the same region in May 2008 and killed nearly 70,000 people.

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A rescue worker walks by a damaged building after the earthquake, which was the worst to hit the country in three years.
. SICHUAN, China. REUTERS/Aly Song

A rescue worker walks by a damaged building after the earthquake, which was the worst to hit the country in three years.

Children eat instant noodles outside a rescue tent in the affected province, where China has channelled resources including 1 billion yuan ($161.9 million) for disaster relief and compensation.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Reuters Photographer

Children eat instant noodles outside a rescue tent in the affected province, where China has channelled resources including 1 billion yuan ($161.9 million) for disaster relief and compensation.

China's Premier Li Keqiang (centre) visits Lushan county, after flying there by helicopter to voice support for the rescue operation.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Reuters Photographer

China's Premier Li Keqiang (centre) visits Lushan county, after flying there by helicopter to voice support for the rescue operation.

In many cases, rescuers struggled to reach victims, hampered by mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure. Children by a roadside hold up a sign reading: "no food, no tent".
. SICHUAN, China. REUTERS/Aly Song

In many cases, rescuers struggled to reach victims, hampered by mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure. Children by a roadside hold up a sign reading: "no food, no tent".

An earthquake survivor carries a sign declaring: "Serious disaster needs help" as she and other villagers protested against what they said was a lack of assistance in Chaoyang village.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

An earthquake survivor carries a sign declaring: "Serious disaster needs help" as she and other villagers protested against what they said was a lack of assistance in Chaoyang village.

An elderly woman weeps as she sits on a sofa in front of damaged houses and rubble.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Reuters Photographer

An elderly woman weeps as she sits on a sofa in front of damaged houses and rubble.

A man recovers his wedding photo from the wreckage of his home in Longmen township.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Rooney Chen

A man recovers his wedding photo from the wreckage of his home in Longmen township.

A portrait of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong is torn in two after the earthquake.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Reuters Photographer

A portrait of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong is torn in two after the earthquake.

Residents eat lunch outside a damaged building.
. SICHUAN, China. REUTERS/Aly Song

Residents eat lunch outside a damaged building.

People stand by the wreckage of a house.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Reuters Photographer

People stand by the wreckage of a house.

Villagers carry the coffin of a man killed in the quake.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Reuters Photographer

Villagers carry the coffin of a man killed in the quake.

A survivor looks at the ruins of her home.
. LUSHAN, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

A survivor looks at the ruins of her home.

“My difficulties mean nothing compared to every victim’s face I saw or every cry I heard on the way.”
Jason Lee, Reuters Photographer

It was 8:02a.m. on April 20, 2013, three weeks before the fifth anniversary of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed nearly 70,000 people, when another strong quake hit the city of Ya’an in the same province.

More than 190 people died, 21 others are still missing, and more than 11,000 people have been injured.

I must admit when I first heard about the disaster, I was a little reluctant to cover it, hoping that this time it wouldn’t be very serious. The catastrophic images from five years ago were still lingering in my head. However, when the death toll started to climb, I quickly cleared my thoughts and got on the next flight to the quake zone.

I don’t want to use too many words to describe how much I overcame to get there because my difficulties mean nothing compared to every victim’s face I saw or every cry I heard on the way.

I want to write about something else that I witnessed there, something I believe is worse than the earthquake. This quake struck a mountainous region where most inhabitants are local farmers. I studied construction engineering in college and it didn’t take me long to notice that many houses in the area were constructed so poorly that they wouldn’t even be able to withstand a much smaller quake.

After taking some pictures of people crying in front of their destroyed houses, I stepped forward to interview them for the captions, only to find out that many houses, even schools, were rebuilt after being damaged in the 2008 quake. I couldn’t believe how the lessons from what had happened had not been learnt.

As the second biggest economy in the world, China still has many problems that need to be solved. Many rural areas still suffer from poor infrastructure and low social security.

Many people here question charity organisations after several scandals in recent years. The other day, I witnessed a small-scale protest against the inefficient rescue operation in Chaoyang village, near the quake’s epicenter. Due to an unbalanced arrangement of rescue resources, some people in the village didn’t have any shelter or food for more than two days. I saw an old couple knelt down to beg for help during the protest. I felt so sad and useless as a photojournalist.

With this thought in mind, I started collecting names and bank accounts of some of the survivors I photographed.

As soon as I returned to Beijing, I posted the details of survivor Song Zhengqiong on my personal blog. I will never forget the pain and sorrow in her cries. Her home was completely destroyed by the quake, and she still owes the bank 40,000 yuan ($6,480) that she borrowed to build that very house. Luckily, within a day, more than 20 friends agreed to donate to help her.

But, I can only do so much. I wish them all the best and a quick recovery from their losses. I also hope that lessons are learnt from their blood and tears.

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