PLA and APF servicemen join in disaster relief in Ili

As of 19:00 on the evening of July 1, 2012, the 6.6-magnitude earthquake occurred at the border between Xinyuan County and Hejing County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China had victimized 155,000 people.

As soon as the earthquake occurred on the morning of June 30, the officers and men of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese People's Armed Police Force (APF) stationed in Xinjiang promptly joined in the earthquake fighting and disaster relief operations.

Both the Ili and Bayinguoleng Sub-military Commands of the Chinese PLA immediately activated emergency-responding pre-plans and organized 2,000-plus servicemen, militiamen and reservists for emergency rescue. More than 300 officers and men from the APF Xinjiang Contingent and the APF 8660 Troop Unit made their way to the site at the first moment to launch rescue.

In an hour after the earthquake, the militia company under the People's Armed Forces Department (PAFD) of the Xinyuan County was already at the town of Nalati, the worst-hit area, to carry out the earthquake fighting and disaster relief work. On the afternoon of June 30, Xie Cheng, commander of the Ili Sub-military Command, and Wang Hongmin, chief of staff of the Ili Sub-Military Command, led teams to rush to the worst-hit Xinyuan County to direct the earthquake fighting and disaster relief work.

As of the afternoon of July 1, the officers and men under the Peoples Armed Forces Department of Xinyuan County as well as the 500-plus militiamen sent out by the county had set up 50-plus tents for the people in the disaster area, transferred 158 local people, and troubleshot hidden dangers for 100-plus village families.

In less than 10 minutes after the earthquake happened, Wang Chunxi, leader of the Xinyuan Squadron of the Ili Detachment of the APF Xinjiang Contingent, led 20 officers and men to rush to the disaster area and successfully rescued the over-60-year-old Shalihar and Akalkai, her 8-year-old grand-daughter, who were trapped under the rubble in the Aershan village of Nalati Town. Zhang Jiuquan, commander of a regiment under the APF 8660 Troop Unit, also led 200-plus officers and men to promptly conduct emergency rescue and medical assistance.