My friend is back from Sichuan, China. He wrote a moving account of his experience there, on his blog. I just have to share it. To have been there like this changes you as a person forever. It's a pity he lost his camera while there, but he showed me some photos from fellow Red Cross volunteers. This one made me the saddest - rescue workers unearthing bodies of young primary school children buried in the rubble. Their parents were there too, crying and wailing to the heavens in palpable grief and sorrow. My friend was so torn and numbed by the devastation, he had to sit down dazed. The scene there was so surreal, just 4 hours' flight away from Singapore.
There's been a strong aftershock, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale. It flattened 270,000 homes in addition to the 4.7 million already destroyed by the quake on May 12. That's well more than the number of homes in Singapore. Death toll is expected to rise above 80,000 now.
But there is hope yet as volunteers continue to ferry supplies, medical aid and tents to the victims. US$3,000 can fill 3 vans with daily necessities, teddy bears and stationery for children. Here's an update from the Singapore Red Cross on what's been done so far.
I am so touch and so sad to see the picture. I am not just only moved, I am in a dazed looking at it. I will pray for them, may they be heaven!
ReplyDeleteBBO, yeah. I was stunned too. At first I had hoped they were just knocked unconscious but something told me it wasn't so cheery. My friend confirmed it.
ReplyDeleteAh so sad. I look at their clothes and wonder if they knew when they put those on that fateful morning, whether they had any clue that it would be the last time they would wear them.
My friend told me to hug my own kids tightly, for many parents in Sichuan have none now.