There are reports (which Officials deny) of a nuclear explosion (accidental or otherwise) in China that may have triggered (or not) the horrendous pre-Olympic Sichuan earthquake (May 12th 2008 - magnitude 7.9) in which some 69,000 people died.  The original series of English-language stories from the Chinese news source The Epoch Times are at these links:

May 27 2008: Local Residents Concerned with Safety of Sichuan Nuclear Facilities.  Jump to the permanent May 27th archive by clicking here.

June 03 2008: Nuclear Explosion Occurred Near Epicenter of the Sichuan Earthquake, Expert Says.  Jump to the permanent June 3rd archive by Clicking here.

July 09 2008: Earthquake [nuke-triggered?] Destroyed China's Largest Military Armory, Says Source.  Jump to the permanent July 9th archive by clicking here.




By Wen Cheng - Epoch Times Staff - May 27, 2008

Local Residents Concerned with Safety of Sichuan Nuclear Facilities

In the wake of the major earthquake in Sichuan Province earlier this month, concern over possible leakage problems with China's nuclear facilities within the provincial area has drawn worldwide attention.

Though Chinese authorities have continued to assert that no such danger exists, the Chinese population at large has long lost confidence in such official statements. They worry that the nuclear leakage "rumor" may not be unfounded.

Acting chairman of the China New Democracy Party (CNDP) Guo Quan published a report entitled "The CNDP Calls on Chinese authorities to Immediately Publicize the Safety of Nuclear Facilities in Sichuan." Guo's article enumerated the casualties of experiments in nuclear power engineering research in Sichuan and called on the Chinese communist regime to immediately launch an extensive radioactive examination over all nuclear facilities across the provincial and peripheral areas. While walking his child home from school three days after his report was released, Guo was arrested on the street.

However, China's General Office of the Ministry of Environmental Protection on May 21 issued a notice announcing that it would hold a hearing about the regulations for the safe transport of radioactive materials in Beijing on May 28.

Local Residents Extremely Worried

Zhang, a resident of Mianyang City in Sichuan, said that it was widely rumored that the leakage of radioactive substances had occurred in his town. Locals are very worried as they know that there are many nuclear arsenals and research facilities in Mianyang.

Zhang also said that after the earthquake, the troops stationed in his area had never been mobilized to help with the rescue effort. Instead, rescue operations were handled by soldiers dispatched from other parts of the country. Some local soldiers revealed that they were absolutely prohibited from leaving their post, even to return home.

"Xiaoba Township is located at the epicenter of the quake, and a huge number of these residents have been devastated by this disaster. However, no troop, or even a single soldier was sent there, explained Zhang. "It is a very strange phenomenon, as there are many military bases in Mianyang." Why couldn't the Chinese authorities offer soldiers to these hard-hit areas? Zhang believes that the authorities are intent on protecting their so-called "military bases."

"As a result, whatever the authorities said or the official statements that are released, locals are not inclined to believe them. Particularly if it has something to do about a serious disaster like this earthquake," added Zhang. "Official newspapers have repeatedly attempted to clarify this matter, as they continue to state that talk of radioactive leaks is nothing but rumors. However, locals have been inclined to believe these rumors.

"It is not surprising to hear it [official denials of nuclear leakage]," exclaims Zhang. "The Chinese people are used to it, as they have heard many official denials like this. They have taken the authorities' false assumption for granted. The mentality of these governmental officials is concerned solely with maintaining stability. In reality they would not care about a large death toll, so long as they are not the victims themselves. After all, China has a huge population."

"To my understanding, the casualties at some places in this region have not been reported whatsoever," said Zhang in reference to the regime's official death toll brought by the recent earthquake.

"Take Meishan for instance. In many parts of town, the situation has not been covered at all. Though there have been some coverage of casualties in the hardest-hit areas, the death toll is still not certain. In Beichuan County, it is more likely that the entire county has been destroyed. Nobody really knows how many people died in its many townships." BACK TO TOP



By Wu Weilin - Epoch Times Staff - Jun 03, 2008

Nuclear Explosion Occurred Near Epicenter of the Sichuan Earthquake, Expert Says


Boxun News, a Chinese-language Web site based outside China, reported that an unnamed expert has claimed that there was a nuclear explosion near the epicenter of the Sichuan earthquake, based on witness reports and the discovery of concrete rubble believed to have come from an underground military installation. The news of this nuclear explosion has raised questions about the cause of the earthquake.

Mr. He, a local resident, stated that when the earthquake occurred on May 12, people saw something erupt from the top of a mountain next to the valley, "It looked like toothpaste being squeezed out," said He. "No, it wasn't [magma]. It was these concrete pieces. The eruption lasted about three minutes."

According to a China News Services (CNS) report on May 31, 2008, paramedics from People's Liberation Army (PLA) hospitals and psychologists from Beijing onsite May 23 found concrete debris at the bottom of a valley near the epicenter. The half-mile-wide valley was covered with debris 10 - 20 inches thick, covering the valley floor for almost 1.5 miles.

No major construction was occurring in the area at the time of the earthquake.

The thickness of the concrete pieces seemed to match that used in China's underground military bases, according to Boxun's expert. He explained that while there are documented cases that earthquakes cause volcanic eruptions, there are no accounts of eruptions ejecting concrete.

Based on the CNS report and timing of the eruption at the scene, there seemed to be no evidence of natural volcanic activity. The expert stated he was certain a nuclear explosion shattered the underground concrete structures, hurling debris into the air [emphasis mine - Archivist].

At least one of China's nuclear military bases is located in Mianyang City, Sichuan, near the epicenter.

Chinese Internet surfers commented that right after the quake military Special Forces blocked traffic heading toward the epicenter on the mountain, and men in white chemical protective clothing in military vehicles were also spotted driving toward the mountain. Rescue personnel near the epicenter were all military, according to witnesses. The expert believes the nuclear explosion was not confined to the underground test area and has caused radiation contamination, stating that in a call to Beijing he recommended authorities accept help from other countries, seal the area, find and provide help to those who had been exposed to contamination during the rescue work, and take emergency measures to prevent water contamination.

The expert believes that the nuclear explosion caused the recent 8.0 magnitude Sichuan earthquake in China. However, other experts referenced by Boxun withheld judgment as to whether the explosion caused the earthquake or the earthquake the explosion. Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Epoch USA Inc.

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By Zhang Haishan Times Staff - Jul 09, 2008

Earthquake [nuclear-triggered??] Destroyed China's Largest Military Armory, Says Source

A high-level Chinese military source secretly disclosed last week that the recent earthquake in Sichuan Province caused a chain-reaction of explosions in the Sichuan mountain areas. The explosions destroyed Chinese army's largest armory, new weapon test bases and part of nuclear facilities including several nuclear warheads. This information is considered China's top military secret.

After the earthquake, Chinese authorities had ignored the disaster victim's initial calls for help. Only after the first critical 72 hours had passed did the authorities allow international aid to be delivered to the disaster region. Military analysts believe that this delay occurred because Mianyang City of Sichuan Province is one of important areas for the Chinese military nuclear industries and also its largest armory. The Chinese regime did not want potential spies from the outside world in this very sensitive military area during a time when there may have been a nuclear accident.

After carefully analyzing seismic data, military experts in southeast Asia confirmed a non-geological shock had occurred at the earthquake epicenter. The energy released was equivalent to that of an underground nuclear explosion.

China News Service (CNS) reported earlier that some Chinese experts had made a seismic analysis and suggested that a nuclear explosion might have occurred at the epicenter. At that time, it was said by official military sources that the readings were due to a huge explosion of a large-scale military armory in Sichuan.

According to a CNS report on May 31, titled "Suspicious Epicenter of the Epicenter Was Found," on May 23, a medical team, consisting of paramedics from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) hospitals and psychologists from Beijing, found onsite a one- kilometer (0.62 mile) wide and two kilometers (1.24 mile) long valley on a hill close to the epicenter. The long ravine was found to have been covered with concrete debris 10-20 inches thick at its bottom as if large cement blocks were tossed about randomly surrounding the immediate area.

A team member said, "Where did those concrete blocks come from?" Since there were no large buildings nearby, everybody was curiously talking about it but could not find an answer. A local resident surnamed He talked about what had happened.

He said many villagers were working in their fields at the time of the earthquake on May 12. The earth suddenly shook and shortly afterwards, a thunderous sound came out of the mountain. Immediately after the explosion, they then saw a huge hole form at the top of the mountain. Many things were pushed out of this hole like toothpaste being squeezed out. "Was it magma?" somebody asked. "No, those were concrete blocks," said He. "The eruption lasted about three minutes," he added.

Earthquakes may sometimes result in a volcanic eruption, but no concrete eruption has ever been recorded, said an expert [did he really say that with a straight face? Archivist]. Based on the CNS report, several experts have suggested the eruption could have been caused by a huge explosion beneath the mountain, which shattered the concrete cover of the underground facilities and pushed them to the surface. The thickness of the concrete blocks pushed to the surface seemed to match the cover layer used in China's underground military bases.

The safety of nuclear facilities located near the earthquake epicenter was bound to attract international attention. Many countries are monitoring the area closely for radioactive fall-out. In a recent press conference, Air Force Major General Ma Jian, a military spokesperson said, "The nuclear facilities are safe." Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Epoch USA Inc.

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