Memorial Ceremonies Mark 15th Year since Sichuan Earthquake that Left 87,000 Dead or Missing
16:58 JST, May 12, 2023
CHENGDU, China — Memorial services were held around Sichuan Province on Friday to mark the 15th anniversary of a powerful earthquake that left about 87,000 people dead or missing in the region of southwest China.
On Friday morning, bereaved families and others visited a cemetery in Dujiangyan, near the city of Chengdu, for students who died in the collapse of elementary and junior high school buildings.
A woman clasped her hands in prayer in front of the gravestone of a young girl, before laying down an offering of yellow and white chrysanthemums.
There are lingering suspicions that slipshod construction work involving local authorities led to the collapse of school buildings. Police vehicles were deployed around the cemetery on the alert for protesters.
In Yingxiu, Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the earthquake, a memorial service was held in front of a collapsed junior high school building that has been preserved as a historical site.
"World" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
China to Test Mine for Rare Metals Off Japan Island; Japan Lagging in Technologies Needed for Extraction
-
Troops Sent to S. Korea Election Commission HQ During Martial Law; Election Fraud Verification Claimed as Motive
-
Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Laureate Out from Tehran Prison for Treatment, Vows to Fight on for Women’s Rights
-
China Expanding Influence in Global South, Japan Report Says; Highlights Dangers of China Building Military Base in Mideast
-
Peace in Ukraine Hinges on NATO Membership, Says Kyiv’s Ex-foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Core Inflation in Tokyo Accelerates in November
- China to Test Mine for Rare Metals Off Japan Island; Japan Lagging in Technologies Needed for Extraction
- Record 320 School Staff Punished for Sex Offenses in Japan
- Miho Nakayama, Japanese Actress and Singer, Found Dead at Her Tokyo Residence; She was 54 (UPDATE 1)
- Immerse Yourself in Snoopy’s World Ahead of Comic Strip’s 75th Anniversary Next Year; Renovated, Refreshed Museum Features Original, Reproduced Comic Strips, Vintage Merchandise