19,000 out of 80,000...

[rogerluli]

At the time of the Sichuan earthquake last May we talked extensively about the fact that so many schools had collapsed due to their shoddy construction...While nearby buildings would suffer minor damage, school buildings often collapesd into a pile of rubble killing students and teachers alike... At the time it was thought that somewhat less than 10,000 children and teachers out of the 80,000 earthquake deaths had occured in those schools...The latest figures on deaths now report that a staggering 19,000 died in those schools, or nearly 1 in 4 fatalities... A second local official has commited suicide as well...How could anyone live with themselves who had profited from the construction of these "tofu schools"???

 

 

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/i...lBrandChannel=0

 

A pic of a section of school showing that no rebar had been used as was required in school construction... B)

 

http://i33.tinypic.com/2e2pfz9.jpg

[Guest WenDylan]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/05/16/science/china_533.jpg

 

It puts me at a loss for words...

[Yuanyang]

Those responsible can either kill themselves or wait for the state to do it for them.... more merciful than turning them over to the people.

[flowers]

Those responsible can either kill themselves or wait for the state to do it for them.... more merciful than turning them over to the people.

 

 

Actually I don't mind helping those people to kill them. I would rather have these officials die slowly then just comitt sucide.

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

The good book tells us to turn the other cheek. In China it must be turn a blind eye by the building inspector.

Edited November 21, 2008 by Tony n Terrific (see edit history)

[IllinoisDave]

Will it lead to substantive change in the way business is done in China or not? Time will tell. It's a helluva price to pay either way. B)

[LaurenAmber]

I can not believe this... God, words can not express my sadness over this... Few things can make me outright sob... and this is one of them...

[johnxiaoying]

You can bet there was plenty of cash swapping hands from contractors to the building inspectors. Just the way things are done in China.

 

You'd think that the government would have gotten at least one complaint from one inspector of a construction company offering a bribe and then been on the outlook for corrupt inspectors and companies. I guess everyone is just too busy looking for their own bribe than to be looking out for someone else accepting bribes.

[Mike62356]

I am sorry but I could notread past the first post, I was there at that time and I helped dig I can'treadany moer

[Corbin]

Will it lead to substantive change in the way business is done in China or not? Time will tell. It's a helluva price to pay either way.

Though this is the usual way that things happen before there is change. Not just in China, but every where in the world including the US of A.

[SheLikesME?]

The good book tells us to turn the other cheek. In China it must be turn a blind eye by the building inspector.

It also tells us that we don't have to suffer our enemies harm. Your allowed to fight back to protect yourself and interests.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

What touched me most about the scale of this most recent earthquake, was the outpouring of love and help expressed by the people of China. At my office for example, HR was inundated by employee vacation requests from people that wanted to travel to the area to help however they could. There were daily emails requesting both financial support and updates as to what was going on. You can believe me when I say that there are fathers and mothers here just like anywhere else. Babies are cute, loved, and cared for, and it strikes deep in the heart of the people when they see their fellow citizens face such a horrific calamity. If you could see what I am seeing, then you would take from this hope, rather than scorn.

Edited November 23, 2008 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[rogerluli]

Parents of children killed in their classrooms during the May 12 Sichuan earthquake filed a lawsuit Dec. 1 demanding compensation from the government for their loss...Inesplicably this story has not been reported at all in China... The news sources must surely have merely overlooked it...

 

Yes these are the same children that dear friend SSWW claimed had been killed by the collapse of one foot high decorative block walls...

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/world/as...tml?_r=1&hp

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

The aftermath of the quake still continues. The loss, anger and hurt may last for years to come.

 

 

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/pop...14&src=news

[rogerluli]

Parents of children killed in their classrooms during the May 12 Sichuan earthquake filed a lawsuit Dec. 1 demanding compensation from the government for their loss...Inesplicably this story has not been reported at all in China... The news sources must surely have merely overlooked it...

 

Yes these are the same children that dear friend SSWW claimed had been killed by the collapse of one foot high decorative block walls...

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/world/as...tml?_r=1&hp

 

 

It was in the news yesterday that the courts have been ordered to refuse to hear these cases...all of them. I'll try to find the article, but basically it said that there will be no civil lawsuits over this issue.

 

It is true that the attempted lawsuit has been thrown out...

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl..._DwmCwD958JGI80

 

The parents were threatened and the government promises to investigate the shoddy construction of schools has come to naught... Just business as usual in China...