The earthquake that shook the region of Jyekundo/Kyegudo (Chin: Yushu) on 14 April 2010 was by far the most devastating in Tibet's recent history. The death toll was initially put at 200 on the day after the quake but has, according to official figures, risen to approximately 2,500. The authorities acknowledge that the final number will be higher, but it is still too early for serious estimates. The quake and its aftermath is a reminder once again that the Tibetan plateau is a region of intense seismic activity, and also raises questions about the types of buildings that are now prominent there.
The Chinese authorities were as fast to launch rescue operations as they were eager to publicise their efforts but it is obvious that a quake of this magnitude was unexpected and preparations for such an eventuality were inadequate. Despite this, spontaneous, private help was swiftly and efficiently mobilised. A wave of solidarity rose across the Tibetan regions. So much tsampa, the traditional Tibetan staple dish made of roasted barley flour, was dispatched to Jyekundo, that it became scarce in Lhasa. Tibetans also sent considerable amounts of money, as did numerous Chinese from all over the PRC. Various celebrities made public appeals for help and although the authorities officially welcomed the appeals they were reportedly keen not to highlight their significance.
The authorities were also busy taking control of the distribution of relief goods and despatched an anti-corruption taskforce to ensure that it remained under their control. The Tibetan monks, who arrived from monasteries like Serthar and from as far away as Kumbum monastery, close to Xining, to help with rescue work and perform religious rituals for the dead and their families, have hardly been mentioned in official reports, although they were highly visible on TV. Since then, they have been pressed by officials to return to their respective monasteries. A large number of pictures documenting the monks' work have been posted by individuals on the internet(1). However, the authorities still seem willing to welcome a few exiled Tibetan clerics who have brought substantial financial and other help. A high lama who is based in Australia reached Jyekundo on 22 April. Thrangu Rinpoche, one of the most senior monks of the Karma-Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and a resident of Nepal, was also reportedly on his way to the scene.
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Journalists, both foreign and domestic, had only restricted access to the region. Many reports in the international press appear to be based on official Chinese sources, as they recycle the same specific stereotypes about Tibet, like its remoteness and harsh climate as well as the dangers of altitude sickness. Official reports were also swift to assert that most of the destroyed buildings were 'traditional' constructions, presenting yet another stereotype, that of 'unscientific' building methods of inferior quality. This needs qualifying.
Picture evidence indeed shows a striking disparity in the destruction of Jyekundo. While most of the town is now a single rubble field, some buildings appear to have miraculously withstood the quake. Experience with previous quakes indicates that traditional Tibetan buildings of stone and mud are, in fact, fairly earthquake resistant due to their specific blend of massiveness and their inherent structural elasticity (their weak point being relatively unsupported inner columns). But if most houses in Jyekundo were frail constructions, they can hardly be regarded as 'traditional'. Most of the genuine Tibetan structures here, as in most parts of Tibet, were left unattended and then fell into dilapidation, or were simply destroyed, during the 1960s. They were then replaced by structures made of poor quality materials, with thin walls and some modern elements like concrete bricks loosely held together with mud or inappropriately mixed cement. This reflected an official policy that preferred quick construction with little regard for quality, as well as a trend towards fast urbanisation that transformed Jyekundo from a mere hub for traditional trade routes into an extensive Chinese township.
These structures as well as more 'modern' concrete utilitarian structures like shops, schools and administration offices were almost entirely wiped out, if not by the first then by the second, heavier quake and have generated the most casualties. The few remaining genuinely traditional buildings appear to have withstood the quake far better. As did buildings, such as one of the main hotels or the shopping centre at the heart of the town, which were either recently erected or newly strengthened after tighter construction rules were implemented following the devastating quake that hit Sichuan province in 2008.
Fragmentary information that TibetInfoNet received from local sources provides some details about patterns of effect of the events of 14 April.
An over-proportional number of elders survived the first quake, which occurred in the early morning. This is because many had left their houses at dawn to perform daily religious duties, particularly circumambulations of sacred places (Tib: khora) like monasteries. As they were outdoors, many of them suffered only minor injuries while younger members of their families died under the rubble of their houses. Without the support of their families, these elders now face an uncertain future.
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It also appears that many victims were woken up by the first quake and were able to run in panic out of their homes. But many were then caught by the second, even more violent quake when, after considering the chilly highland morning, they returned to their houses in order to fetch warm clothes and food.
The same circumstances had different effects. On the day of the quake, full moon rituals were performed in the monasteries. Because of this, most fully ordained monks found themselves in their prayer halls when the quake struck, while acolytes and monks with only partial ordination were outside attending to their daily duties. Thrangu monastery thus lost most of its fully ordained monks when the main temple collapsed, while there were fewer victims among their younger peers. In contrast, in Jyekundo monastery, the main temple withstood the quake far better, partly because two of the main columns slid up against each other, stopping each other's fall and continuing to support the roof of the temple, but also partly because the shock waves were less violent there than further south. As a result, the proportion of younger and not fully ordained monks among the victims was higher there. Generally, the quake was far more violent in the south, than in the north. Thrangu monastery which is situated on the way to Nangchen, towards the south, was totally destroyed.
A dam constructed in a high valley not far from Thrangu was of great concern in the period immediately after the quake. The dam appears to have been severely damaged by the second strike and there were fears that it might break during the numerous aftershocks. Jyekundo is situated in a flat, low valley and, had the dam broken, it would have inevitably flooded the plain and made any rescue operation, as well as the evacuation of the survivors, extremely difficult. The authorities were able to control the situation by slowly releasing as much water as possible. It is still unclear whether it is possible to rebuild the dam, but such plans are unlikely considering just how closely a catastrophe was avoided. Whatever the case, the region of Jyekundo is likely to remain without its main source of electrical power for a considerable period.
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Following the quake, information was able to reach the outer world due to mobile phones. But communication progressively broke down. While this has been explained by assuming a crackdown by the authorities on communication, a more likely scenario is that phones went silent because there was simply no power to recharge them. Damage to the local airport, which is also in the south, seems to have been repaired to the extent that it was quickly able to receive small aircraft.
Much of Tibet's ground once lay deep below what geologists call the Tethys Sea. While the south Asian continental plate, for millions of years attached to Africa, drifts north, it pushes itself below the Asian continental plate forcing it to upwards. Because this process is ongoing, the Himalayas, at the line of junction between both plates, continues to rise, making Tibet an extremely active seismic region. Although relatively frequent, earthquakes in Tibet mostly remain benign for the population simply because most of the Plateau is uninhabited.
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See: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/aenpokyabgon/AllKyegu2010EarthquakePhotos?feat=directlink#
The website High Peaks Pure Earth conveys information from Tibetan blogs and websites. It reported on 26 April 2010 that the Tibetan writer Shogdung (aka Tagyal) was arrested on 23 April 2010, apparently in connection with his co-signing of an open letter by Tibetan intellectuals in Qinghai on 17 April. The strongly worded letter criticised the Chinese authorities' temporary ban on non-locals entering the Jyekundo region and advised people to send donations to the region through personal contacts instead of using officially designated channels. Shogdung himself was prevented from going to Jyekundo. (For the full report see: www.highpeakspureearth.com)
The arrest is singular in so far as Shogdung is known for his critical positions towards Tibetan traditions and Buddhism and was able to publish his views via official channels. If it was not due to personal grievances, the arrest may well reflect a growing sense of nervousness on the part of the authorities about the situation in Jyekundo and its potential to generate unrest.