Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jiu Jiang (Fides Service) - During a 5.7 Richter scale earthquake on 26 November 13 people were killed, 8,000 injured and 600,000 lost their homes, 18,000 buildings were destroyed and 150,000 were seriously damaged in the cities of Jiu Jiang and Rui Chang in Jiang Xi province. The quake was felt also in the provinces of Hu Bei, An Hui, Zhe Jiang and Jiang Su.
According to a local Catholic priest Fr Thomas You Guo Hui, ordained in 1957, serious cracks appeared in the inside walls of the Catholic parish in the Nan Cheng district: “the engineer sent by the authorities said the church should be closed for the time being. We are holding masses elsewhere. However despite the disastrous conditions we continue to have mass and to pray for the survivors and we are also doing our best to provide food, blankets and other emergency aid for the affected people”. Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Nan Chang (main town in Jiang Xi province) sent a telegramme assuring prayers and solidarity for the victims: the local community is collecting money and material aid, blankest, clothing to send to the affected areas. (Agenzia Fides 28/11/2005 Righe: 23 Parole: 235)
