Chinese Picture quiz - 2 First question

Ten years on from the Sichuan earthquake

The devastating earthquake of May 12th 2008 was China's worst natural disaster in recent years. Nearly 90,000 people were killed - a huge number compared to many more high profile disasters (30 times the loss in the 9/11 attacks). It occurred in a rural area north-west of Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu in the afternoon. Among the dead were up to 5,000 students. Many blamed the poor quality of the buildings which had been hastily constructed. Criticism of the government's role was suppressed and some feel that they never received adequate explanations.

China is very prone to earthquakes and holds the dubious honor of the most loss of life anywhere in the world. In 1976 the Tangshan earthquake, Hebei cost 650,000 people's lives but the worst still was 830,000 lives lost in 1556. The country is geologically diverse, made up of a mosaic of small tectonic plates that occasionally slip and slide against each other.