President U Thein Sein on inspection tour of earthquake-hit areas in Mandalay, Sagaing regions
Nay Pyi Taw, 24 Nov - President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Thein Sein, after inspecting quake-hit areas in Sagaing and Mandalay Regions, accompanied by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Vice- Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Deputy Speaker of Amyotha Hluttaw U Mya Nyein, Union ministers U Myint Hlaing, U Hla Tun, U Ohn Myint, U Kyaw Lwin, Dr Mya Aye and Dr Pe Thet Khin, Lt-Gen Myint Soe and Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe of the Commanderin- Chief (Army) Office, Deputy Minister U Phone Swe, senior military officers and departmental heads, left here by special aircraft at 7.15 am today and arrived at Mandalay International Airport to comfort the quake victims.
At the airport lounge, Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Ye Myint and Chief Minister of Sagaing Region U Tha Aye reported on earthquake, loss and damage of lives and property, relief works and plans for rehabilitation tasks.
On the occasion, the President said that natural disaster is unavoidable factor.
Not only Myanmar but the global countries are facing natural disasters. Among the natural disasters, storms and tsunami can be forecast and preparedness can be taken for minimizing loss and damage.
Earthquake is also an unpredictable natural disaster. However, the recent earthquake jolted at over 7 am on Sunday when the local people were at farming works. Fortunately, although the earthquake was strong, the number of casualties is small.
If the earthquake hit the downtown with epicenter at night where the people are asleep, the number of casualty would be heavy.
After the shakes of earthquake, Vice-President Dr Sai Mauk Kham arrived at quake-hit areas and supervised saving the patients in critical conditions, giving medical treatments to the injured people and fulfilling the requirements of the victims.
At present, the stake of relief works for the quake victims has finished. After that , the rehabilitation tasks should be undertaken for quake victims. Due to the quake, some of the housings were damaged and some housings were in bad conditions for living. Thus, the plan is under way to construct the temporary buildings in which the victims can live safely. After that, the buildings that could minimize the damages in earthquakes would be constructed for the quake victims.
He stressed the need to carry out such tasks in accord with the wishes of the local people. Likewise, it is necessary to broaden the horizon of the people concerning knowledge about earthquake.
The President pointed out that it is necessary to repair the schools damaged in the quake and construct new school buildings for continuous learning of students.
Offices and departmental buildings should be repaired and constructed for smoothly running of administrative mechanism.
Assistance would be provided to resuming of vocational works of the local people. In addition, the damaged religious edifices would be renovated and rebuilt, he said. In so doing, the President said that tasks should be undertaken step by step or simultaneously. The Union government would spend K 1 billion on earthquake victims from the K 100-billionnatural- disaster fund.
The State, donors and local people should join hands in rebuilding the housings of the local people. The expenditure should be calculated to the people in detail for construction tasks. If the people wished to construct ready-made buildings, the constructional materials would be bought from abroad.
The President noted that a systematic layout plan would be laid down for construction of hospitals, schools and roads in rebuilding villages. Debris of damaged buildings should be removed with the use of heavy machinery, he said.
On arrival at Thabeikkyin, the President and party viewed damaged township police station, departments and housings.
At Thabeikkyin Basic Education High School, the President looked into learning of students at the temporary buildings. In meeting with the local people, the President said that the local people should consider that lesser casualty in earthquake was better although they faced the strong quake.
The President kept a promise that the people would posses new buildings for the damages of old buildings. So, they should comfort their offspring.
The President went on to say that the reconstruction tasks would be carried out for the quake victims with the assistance of the Union government and wellwishers, and the local people are to join hands with the government in the tasks. The President kept one more promise that the construction tasks would be carried out without moving the town area.
Emphasis would be placed on construction of temporary and permanent housings for the people, especially for monasteries at first.
The President said that he was accompanied by the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, Union ministers and wellwishers to fulfill necessary requirements.
He acknowledged the Tatmadawmen who immediately undertook rescue and relief works for the local people after the rocks of earthquake. So, the local people were urged to try hard for re-operating their vocational works.
After that, the President presented one solar-lamp each to every household. The Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services donated CI sheets and bags of cement to the people for construction of housings.
At Thabeikkyin Hospital, he encouraged patients and provided cash assistance.
At Thayettaw Monastery, they paid homage to Secretary of Township Sangha Nayaka Committee Presiding Abbot of the monastery Sayadaw Bhaddanta Jotipala and members of the Sangha and supplicated on plans to be implemented for renovation of religious edifices including monasteries and then donated alms.
The President and party arrived at Sampanago Village of Thabeikkyin Township and Malei Village of Kanbalu Town-ship and inspected opening of relief camps, learning of students at temporarily buildings and damages of school buildings. After comforting the local people, they presented solar lamps to them.
During the visit of the President, Defence Services (Army, Navy and Air) families donated 6100 bags of cement, 10000 CI sheets, rice, foodstuffs, blankets, clothes, cash donations worth K 152 million, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries chickens, cows, and wellwishers Sky Net, Asia World, IGE, Max Myanmar, Shwedaung and IBTC companies K 1200 million.
Director U San Kyu of Mother Construction Co Ltd will repair all the damaged buildings in Sampanago Village.