Around two hours ago, an earthquake [1] registering 7.8 on the Richter scale struck in southwestern China's Sichuan province, centered in Wenchuan county [2], and with tremors felt as far away as Beijing [3] and Hong Kong [4].
Update, Tuesday 9am: QQ has been aggregating video shot by its users from many of the affected areas; many of these videos can be seen here [5]. The video below comes from user Gary, taken in an unspecified location:
[1]
The earthquake was reportedly felt in Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, parts of Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Gansu, Henan, Ningxia and Jiangsu.
See below for updates by region.
From Chinese video-sharing website Tudou, user danta1990's footage [6] taken in the Sichuan capital Chengdu:
Danwei has already compiled a number of updates from various sources [7], as has Shanghaiist [8], with information on user-shot video from Sichuan Chinese video portal websites were quick to get up on their front pages.
This clip on 56.com comes from user Little Fish in Wenchuan, Sichuan:And this from video sharing website Youku.com comes from user xiaoyu82528, showing the effect of the earthquake as felt as far away as Beijing:Twitter [9] seems to be a top source [10] of breaking details [11] for the moment; Many [12] are writing of difficulties [13] connecting to those at the center [14] of the quake zone over telephone [15], but the internet seems to still be functioning [16]. Beijing-based tech guru Kaiser Kuo writes that the government Seismological Bureau website is currently inaccessible, presumably from high levels of traffic.
Users inwalkedbud [17] and Lyrrael [18] have been posting updates in English, reporting what they can. River Crab Goes Ashore has been collecting live updates [19] on Chinese microblogging service provider Fanfou.
Inwalkedbud writes [20] from Chengdu, quite near the center of the earthquake: “Doesn't seem to be much damage to buildings, but people are shaken up. Electricity/water/gas seems to be working still.”
Other areas have not been as fortunate; Chinese Twitter user Raine, based in Hubei, writes [21] of possible destruction there:
同事刚电话回家,湖北的荆州、沙市的房子倒了一片,有灾情。
Also via Danwei is a note to keep following Summize.com, one Twitter search engine which supports Chinese characters, for steady updates; updates [22] found via Summize and other places will be added here as they are found. Photos can be seen on Flickr via searches for ‘earthquake’ in English [23] and Chinese [24] and on Yupoo.com [25].
Anyone with more information regarding other areas around China that have been affected is invited to gives us a heads-up in the comments.
Microblog updates by region:
Sichuan
Photos of the devastation in Jiangyan, Jiangsu provinceDujiangyu, one of the hardest-hit places known so far. Several portray dead bodies.
[26]
Monday 21:52 http://jiwai.de/IQ%E5%B0%8F%E5%AD%90/statuses/8802456
“English”语言的维基百科“List of earthquakes”词条中已经增加了此次四川大地震的内容,此外该语言已经新增了“2008 Sichuan Province earthquake”的词条。中文维基百科尚无相关内容更新。
Monday 22:40 http://jiwai.de/doggienest/statuses/8803411
往成都固定电话打通了
http://fanfou.com/statuses/g2QgIe8OWzM
Monday 22:25 http://ledao.in/blog.php?blog_id=156
汶川是去九寨沟的必经之路,那里山势陡峭,地表植被因过度开采受损,而岷江流经此地,造成水土流失严重,是个容易发生地质灾害的地方,这次惨了。
四川大学要求同学离开宿舍 通知4点余震开始
据说四川地区CDMA,小灵通可以打通
— shizhao (@shizhao) May 12, 2008 [27]
据说四川地区CDMA,小灵通可以打通
chengdu airport closed. flights heading there beijing redirectede to chongqing
— Bill Bishop (@niubi) May 12, 2008 [28]
chengdu airport closed. flights heading there beijing redirectede to chongqing
[地震] 河蟹上岸直播: 5月12日14时28分,四川汶川发生7.6级地震,新民网从成都双流国际机场获悉,由于受到地震影响,成都双流国际机场目前已经关闭。
— ufoe (@ufoe) May 12, 2008 [29]
Monday 5:30 pm: https://twitter.com/Aether/statuses/809193571
成都互联网通讯有能连上的了。
http://fanfou.com/statuses/l6XlCAxBJCI
绵阳花盆啥的都碎了,饮水机震倒说塌了好多房子,人都到河堤上去了
http://fanfou.com/statuses/aOdJ1I6y1YU
四川阿坝州理县县城1人死亡8人重伤 汶川县发生7.8级地震后,截止12日17时10分,阿坝州政府应急办了解到的情况是:汶川、理县、茂县交通、通讯全面中断,黑水、小金、金川、马尔康、松潘、九寨沟等县均有房屋倒塌、道路中断、山体滑坡、人员伤亡(其中茂县林业电台报告伤亡人员较多,
Beijing
中国南北网络断了吗?怎么啥都上不去了?
— Steven Lin | flypig (@flypig) May 12, 2008 [30]
中国南北网络断了吗?怎么啥都上不去了?
Earthquake. Evacuating Kerry Center.
— William Moss (@imagethief) May 12, 2008 [31]
@goldkorn [32] I could actually see other buildings in Gemdale moving — could see their reflections in the glass moving.
— Kaiser Kuo (@KaiserKuo) May 12, 2008 [33]
@Scobleizer [34] Lasted longer than 10 seconds — the swaying of my building anyway went on for 30-40 seconds.
— Kaiser Kuo (@KaiserKuo) May 12, 2008 [35]
@goldkorn [32] obviously I can feel it at SOHO New Town.
— Tangos Chan (@Tangos) May 12, 2008 [36]
We r on 38 th flr in beijing cbd. Terrifying how much the bldg was swayed. Grabbed the kids and took the stairs down when swaying stopped
— Bill Bishop (@niubi) May 12, 2008 [37]
I was sitting outside at the coffee shop and had no idea re: quake, except for dog whimpering/jumping.
— Andrew Lih (@fuzheado) May 12, 2008 [38]
photo https://twitter.com/flypig/statuses/809135452
Shanghai
breathing normal again. feeling an earthquake on the 31st floor was not fun.
— ana campos (@nocas) May 12, 2008 [39]
CREEPY! while i'm typing, there's an aftershock hitting!
— Casper (@casperodj) May 12, 2008 [40]
[地震] 上海浦东,毫无震感
— Xiang Li (@leoshcn) May 12, 2008 [41]
Shaanxi
[地震] 汉中市地震局 0916-2626496
— 葡萄 (@yesky12) May 12, 2008 [42]
@nober [43] 我也是。。只能和西安那边发短信,电话打不进去。。
— Mr. Mind (@QienKuen) May 12, 2008 [44]
只能和西安那边发短信,电话打不进去。。
Henan
Monday 21:39 http://jiwai.de/jiangyh/statuses/8802154
15时48分,河南省地震局通过手机短信、电视、广播等形式,向群众发布震情提示:“地震台网测定今天14:28四川汶川发生7.8级地震,震感波及我省,不会影响正常生活,请不要恐慌,本局正关…
http://fanfou.com/statuses/O8h2ttRuQJ8
郑州国家电网公司的大楼都疏散到空地了
Jiangxi
http://fanfou.com/statuses/7bjUhAwYzH8
Anhui
[地震] 我在安徽淮南,这里没有地震
— 戴书文 (@daishuwen) May 12, 2008 [45]
Guangdong
Monday 21:19 http://fanfou.com/statuses/LhifhcSKPXw
76年的唐山地震马上就被翻出。现在全国最忙碌最紧张最加班加点的部门不是地震局,不是救灾队,是中宣部
Zhejiang
杭州网络正常。公司大部分同事都跑到外面去了。
— Fenng (@Fenng) May 12, 2008 [46]
杭州网络正常。公司大部分同事都跑到外面去了。
http://fanfou.com/statuses/k0jIs0Mkmz8
浙江嘉兴、上海间发生5.7级地震 暂无人员伤亡
http://fanfou.com/statuses/nOwacdhRpdA
宁波世贸中心大楼倾斜3度!!!!!!!!!!!!
The World Trade Center in Ningbo has tilted 3 degrees!!!!!!!!
Chongqing
2 school damaged, 4 students dead in Chongqing (from zaobao) http://tinyurl.com/6g5ump
— Tangos Chan (@Tangos) May 12, 2008 [47]
重庆2小学倒塌,4学生死亡
— shizhao (@shizhao) May 12, 2008 [48]
重庆2小学倒塌,4学生死亡
Changsha
[地震] 长沙这边也有了,哎~~
— 大帝007 (@dadi007) May 12, 2008 [49]
Guangxi
http://fanfou.com/statuses/8lgMEGMOzUE
Hubei
Wuchang: http://twitter.com/lenvow/statuses/809197185
湖北多地有地震震感 武昌出现手机信号盲区