3 injured, houses damaged in 6.1-magnitude earthquake in China's Sichuan province
Beijing, Jun 1: Three people were severely injured and several houses were damaged when a 6.1-magnitude earthquake rattled the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Wednesday.
The earthquake struck Lushan county of Ya'an City at 5:00 pm local time. The epicentre, with a depth of 17 km, was monitored at 30.37 degrees north latitude and 102.94 degrees east longitude, the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said.
At least three people were severely injured in the quake, Chengdu Economic Daily reported, citing Ya'an's health department.
The quake was followed by strong aftershocks.
Three minutes after the quake, Baoxing County was struck by an aftershock of 4.5 magnitude.
Strong tremors were also felt as far as Sichuan's capital city of Chengdu and Chongqing Municipality, the state-run CGTN reported.
Provincial firefighters of over 1,400 people have been mobilised to the sites. Meanwhile, rescue teams of adjacent Guizhou, Yunnan provinces and Chongqing municipality are prepared as reinforcements.
The Sichuan fire department said some houses in Lushan County were partially damaged and it's continuing communicating with relevant counties and towns that have been affected.
The municipal government of Ya'an has activated a Level-II emergency response, the second highest of the four-tier system of emergency responses.
China's ministry of emergency management has also sent a team of experts to Lushan for rescue and relief operations.
Due to the two quakes, China's railway authority has urgently halted relevant sections of train lines.
Sichuan province suffered China's deadliest 7.9 magnitude earthquake in 2008 in which 90,000 people were killed.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
