The New Nation - Internet Edition

As we move away from the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, the province hit by a major earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale earlier this month, we get closer to the epicentre at Wenchuan County and a disaster of immense magnitude.

At danger of sounding obvious, it is very difficult to perceive the scale of this disaster until one visits some of the places struck by it. On a five day journey in and out of the areas close to the epicentre, I came across the complete destruction of large towns in places like Yingxiu, Dujiangyan, Chengdu and Jianyou, the enormous numbers of displaced people and their homes that have been left in ruins. I witnessed the grieving and angry parents of children whose lives were lost along with hundreds or even thousands of others in schools across the area. I saw those who had lost parents, those who had been injured, and was spared those who had lost their lives by only seeing them carried away in body bags. I discovered the anxiety in the people of Beichuan where many were scared of a potential Dam collapse. Reportedly about half of the residents of Yingxiu, a town that had over ten thousand people, had perished in the disaster. The growing dangers of further aftershocks, epidemics, and mudslides kept me concerned for my own safety, but I did not have to stay long.

The journey through the affected areas of Sichuan was physically difficult and dangerous but especially humbling and saddening to the soul. By the end of my trip I began to understand the incredible challenges facing the country on its way to recovery and especially the local people who have been left with so little. The truth is that though in a situation like this people do give their best and there is real hope through the various forms of aid being provided by the government and others, the dominant element that prevails everywhere is the determination of the locals to rebuild their lives.

Text & Photos: Nick Kozak

Text Edited By Humaira Fatima/DrikNEWS