May 15, 2008
Sichuan Earthquake: List of missing foreigners so far
Some of you are starting to get in touch with us to send us your list of missing loved ones or friends. We were going to publish this list later, but decided we couldn't wait when we heard this bit of good news: John Bergen of Sichuan Tech and Business College in Dujiangyan has been found, and we've since contacted his friend Peter to let him know.
And here's the list of missing foreigners as it stands right now:
- Dedric Lam sends us this list of 26 Malaysians (2 men and 24 ladies all travelling within the same tour group) suspected missing somewhere around Maoxian. Their itinerary suggests they had lunch at Maoxian around 1.30 before heading to Dujiangyan. They would have been on that journey when the quake hit at about 3ish. Loved ones have tried calling the mobile numbers of these tourists, but not a single one of them is contactable. They have also tried calling the *Chengdu Earthquake Command Center: 028-86408297*, the Chengdu Earthquake Bureau: 028-84423026*; 028-84423021, the Earthquake Central Recovery Office: 0827-5262753*, another recovery office in Fadushi (far from Dujiangyan): 0827-5253001, as well as the *Yibing Earthquake office*: 0831-2333692, all to no avail. The tour group was supposed to fly back on 16 May. The case has since been filed with the Malaysian Embassy:
Mdm Elizabeth Louie Wai Lan, Mdm Tan Saw Im, Mdm Chong Kau Moi, Mdm Sung Foong Thai, Ms Lee Siow Heng, Ms Chan Cheon Keong, Mdm Lee Tow Chin, Ms Chin Lean Thye, Mdm Yip Kam Leng, Mr Thye Sem Lim, Ms Tai Chin Yee, Mr Yip Meng Poh, Mdm Cheah Sau Wah, Mdm Chan Lai Yoke, Mdm Soo Sow Wan, Mdm Yong Chew Ngor, Mdm Wong Siew Moi, Mdm Leong Fook Loon, Mdm Chee Khong Looi, Mdm Loo Kiok Pah, Mdm Chong Nyeok Chin, Mdm Ng Huai Yun, Mdm Ang Kooi Sim, Ms Lee Kor Hsin, Mdm Chee Heong Lian, Mr Lee Kok Leong
- Jon Yoder writes to us from the United States and is seeking to contact Chad and Jenny Graber and their two year old child, Matthew Graber. Chad works at the Aba Teachers College (arial photos from Xinhua) in Wenchuan (epicentre of the quake), and the family has been incontactable since.
If you or anyone close to you has been affected by the earthquake, please write to us at info AT shanghaiist DOT com, and we will keep adding and updating this list. While we may not be able to verify or fact check each specific case, we will do our part to compile a list of foreigners missing after the quake and hopefully connect a few of them to their loved ones.
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Oh and just something to add about the Malaysian tour group. It was published in "The Star" newspaper yesterday that no Malaysians were missing as a result of the quake. Their source: a "Putajaya" (Government) officer (unnamed). After a few calls from one of the families of the missing tourists to the newspaper to try to speak to their source, the newspaper retracted the story stating that it was an error.
If someone at The Star is reading this please take note: THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR SHODDY REPORTING
According The Aba Prefecture Government official in charge of the disaster relief has reported that all the tourists (foreign and domestic) known to be in Wolong are safe. This information was received via satellite phone connection with officials in Wolong. Those confirmed safe include 12 Americans affiliated with WWF, as well as about 50 other foreign tourists and numerous more local tourists and reporters. The Wolong Management Office is housing them all safely in a local resort.
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-05-15/082915543365.shtml
I hope I summarized this accurately -- please feel free to correct any errors.
lhamo
PS. I have friends in Chengdu and Aba Prefecture who are trying to get in touch with Aba Teachers College to verify that the foreign teacher and his family are safe. Will let you know if and when I hear anything.
lhamo
Read this report about stranded tourists in Aba county. Here's translation of a small section in the report.
"Preliminary reports show 832 foreign tourists are stranded here, who are mostly GB, Malaysia, Singapore and US nationals. And additional 331 tourists are from Taiwan. In those 832, we are yet to contact 240. There are about 4300 domestic tourists here, but accurate figures are still unknown. Out of those, we are yet to contact 3000+."
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-05/15/content_8174292.htm
from the foreign teachers family (Chad Graber), we say thank you for your help.
Dear rhondagy: Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
thank you. We are just trusting & hoping that they will be found and are okay.
lhamo: Any news from Aba Teachers College?
Anyone know other foreign teachers missing? I'm sure there are more in schools around that region.
Anyone from aid agencies in Sichuan reading this? We're the only list of missing foreigners around (as far as I know). If there are any other such lists, please email me and we'll add them on to this one.
No news yet, but that isn't surprising as the phones have all been cut off (both land and wireless systems down). The picture you linked to is definitely of Aba Teacher's College, so the good state of the buildings there is sign for hope.
There are relatively few foreigners allowed to live in Aba Prefecture long-term. There may be some foreign teachers at the former teacher-training school (now a key middle school for mostly Tibetan students) in Maerkang, but Maerkang generally seems to have sustained little damage. If anybody knows of anyone missing in Aba prefecture, please continue to post here and I will do what I can to see if we can get any further information from local officials or people on the scene.
Friends with family in the region report that damage in the northern part of the Prefecture (Songpan County, Rouergai County, etc.) is minimal. People who were traveling in those areas may be cut off for awhile, but are likely to be safe.
http://snipr.com/28xrj
Malaysian tourists in China safe [thestar_com_my]
Excellent news. I have just heard that from Siew Pin too. We'll post an update to this list soon.
Meanwhile... "Jiu jia guo"... do they mean "jiuzhaigou"?
Oh sh:t this is from yesterday...........I thought they took it down
What? You mean this is not reliable news?
See the first comment. This is the article that I was referring to.
A minor, but important, correction to the figures about tourists stranded in Aba reported above:
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-05/15/content_8174292.htm)
These are figures for people stranded in the entire PREFECTURE (Aba Zhou), not just in Aba County (Aba Xian). Aba Prefecture has several counties, one of them also called Aba.
The distinction often gets missed in English translations of the Chinese press and government statements, and it can be terribly confusing for people who don't understand the geography.
lhamo
Kenneth,what is the latest? Thanks.
I was just chatting with a friend in Chengdu who's husband is near Wenchuan helping with relief effort. She just heard that Chad and Jenny are ok.
Former Chengduren: That's great news!!! Thank you for letting us know!!!
It seemed they new them personally, so I'm pretty confident about the reliability of the info.
Great news, we also heard from someone at the uni that Chad and family are ok. thanx for your help!!
Latest news >> http://www.nanyang.com/index.php?ch=7&pg=10&ac=843643
My cousin Jan-Mark NAAIJER is also a teacher in Aba Teachers College in Wenchuan (he is french). Thanks a lot if you have news about him.
http://snipr.com/293wl
26 Malaysian tourists safe but stranded (updated) [thestar_com_my]
I'm looking for a French man who also teaches at Aba Teachers College in Wenchuan. If those who hear from Chad and Jenny can also ask about Jan Mark Naaijer, I would be very grateful. I teach at SW Jiaotong University in Chengdu...one of my students is from Wenchuan. Her parents teach at the Aba College. Her mother reports that the teaching buildings were standing and that ALL teachers survived, but no independent confirmation of that.
Hi, wanna thank you for the help and assistance. The Malaysian group of 26 elderly tourist stranded in Maoxian has since been airlifted to Chengdu and will probably be brought home on Saturday or Sunday. Thank you all.... words cannot show our appreciate and gratitude to you all. My grandmother-in-law, Elizabeth Louie Wai Lan and my mother-in-law, Tan Saw Im are safe and well!!
Arab Times is reporting the following:
"A 38-year-old French teacher who worked in Wenchuan was found safe in a camp for displaced people and will also be taken to Chengdu, said the consul in the city, Jacques Dumazy."
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=16979&ccid=18
Not sure if it is a reliable report or not, but at least hopeful news. A German tourist has also recently been rescued, discussed in the same article.
lhamo
Hello.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! For all the guidance in searching my relatives. They are back and resting. Special thanks to Kenneth Tan, Dedric Lim and Lai Sue Ann.
Thanks a lot Ihamo ! Indeed we have official good news about Jan-Mark Naaijer.