Documentary of CGGC's initiative humanitarian aid to combat Ecuadorian earthquake
It's been a few days since Ecuador, a country on the Equator, was stricken by a 7.8-magnitude strong earthquake. The continued relief work kept bringing the rising number of casualties. By April 24, Ecuador Government verified 654 deaths, 58 missing, 113 rescued from ruins and over 25 thousand victims resettled at temporary relocation sites.
CGGC, as a responsible Chinese enterprise, has supplied assistance to Ecuador by different means and channels all these days to extend its concerns. Having received unanimous commendation from all circles of the society, CGGC is interpreting "Chinese Power" with practical action together with other counterparts.
Rushing to assist in face of earthquake attack
On April 16 (local time), a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Ecuador. At that very moment, houses collapsed down to rubbles and debris everywhere, burying numerous lives into the endless darkness from which few arms struggled out to the surface. The scene on TV touched Chinese people's hearts.
In spite of thousands of miles far away, CGGC took actions immediately after the earthquake occurred.
On April 16 (local time), Mr. Nie Kai, Vice President of China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited (CEEC) and Chairman and President of CGGC, instructed by phone to quickly launch the contingency plan and take active part in humanitarian relief work in Ecuador on the premise to ensure safety of Chinese staff. CGGC Vice President Jiang Xiaobing, on his inspection trip in Sopladora Project Management Department, responsively held an emergent conference to arrange the deployment of disaster mitigation, prevention and rescue.
Righteousness was revealed in the face of dangers. All CGGC units in Ecuador made an immediate involvement in the local relief work to rescue the local victims after they completed project security examination and disaster prevention and mitigation. On April 19 local time, Sopladora Project Management Department set up the first rescue team composed of civil engineers, medical personnel and machinery operators with a large amount of supplies such as medicines, potable water and food, and dispatched them equipped with excavators, loaders, dump trucks, ambulances, flatbed trailers to join the rescue teams organized by the local government.
Cao Jiawei is a Spanish translator in Sopladora Project Department. When he heard the rescue team needed an interpreter to coordinate, the post-90s young man determinedly applied for the position and joined in the honorable team. As he said, "faced with the adversity, we can only push aside difficulties by pulling together".
Continuous aftershocks added with landslides and collapse here and there on the rescue way made the road condition extremely dangerous. In order to reopen the "lifeline" for rescue work, the team carried on overnight while clearing the blocked roads. That was a sleepless night for those 13 warriors.
After 30 hours, the rescue team arrived at Bahia de Caraquez, a city on the central coast of Ecuador. "Seeing a scene of devastation everywhere, we are shocked by the enormous damage left by the earthquake", said a rescuer who would never forget the sight. They spared no time to take a break and started with the relief work immediately. The rescue team was divided to two squads: field rescuers used machines including excavators, loaders and dump trucks to assist the professional earthquake rescue team of local government in removing the ruins; medical staff placed a healthcare mobile station in front of the ambulance to treat injuries and distribute medicines for wounded people. An injured resident being treated here was very grateful: "we lack medicines so I feel very lucky to be helped by CGGC."
Human beings help each other without any limitation in face of tragedy. Since April 21 (local time) when CGGC rescue team arrived at the quake's epicenter and started with relief work, all members have always held fast to the front line. Mr. Wu Dehua was responsible for the team and he told us: "there's no electricity and internet and a shortage of food. Due to the field next to the seaside, we have to watch out for dangers brought by the tsunami caused by aftershocks." Mr. Wu and his teammates did not fear of this, on the contrary, they did their best to help local victims.
CGGC's "chivalrous deed" moved local victims among whom there was a "special" figure. On April 22 at 7'o clock in the morning (local time), Ecuadorian President Correa came across CGGC rescue team when he instructed the relief work at Bahia de Caraquez. President Correa debriefed the team about their rescue work at the field. On hearing that they had actively dedicated manpower and material and financial resources the first time, President Correa feel deep gratitude and gave a thumb up to sincerely appreciate CGGC and Chinese people.
World-class quality to be the staunch support
Ecuadorian 7.8-magnitude strong earthquake attracts widespread attention. All projects in Ecuador constructed by Chinese enterprises have proved firmness, bearableness and good functionability by their high quality. "Chinese Quality" and "Chinese Standard" has gone through the severe quake and played an active role in post-quake relief work, gaining appraisal from local people.
As the main force in Ecuadorian infrastructure construction, CGGC has undertaken 7 EPC projects at a total contract value up to 950 million US dollars. These projects not only manifested their unique quality by surviving the ferocious earthquake but also played an active role in combating the adversity.
Just a day before the earthquake, Sopladora Hydropower Station, the first hydroelectric project of CGGC in South America, had its first turbo-generator unit successfully connected onto the power grid. The station weathered the strong quake on April 16 without any damages. The quake led to a tension of power supply in the local area. Currently, the Project Department is taking it the primary task to ensure normal operation of the generator set by all mean, responding to the call of Ecuadorian Government. The station supplies electricity to Ecuadorian power grid day and night with a daily scale of 500 thousand KWh, which has vigorously protected the energy to support the earthquake relief and hence fully reflected CGGC's social responsibility accountability in the international society.
Yachay Knowledge City Project contracted by CGGC was most heavily affected compared to all other projects under construction due to its closest distance to the quake's epicenter, but it stood still against the hit on account of its excellent quality. Now, the completed building offers a suitable shelter for people and supplies in outstanding contribution to the local disaster prevention and control.
Bulubulu Flood Control Project, entering into completion and acceptance in July, 2015, also resisted the aggressive earthquake. It includes a 10km-long flood control dike, a 2.9km-long reinforced concrete water-retaining wall and Malawias flood diversion sluice and dike, etc. Threatened by the frequent rain in the wet season of Ecuador, it weathered the quake and effectively prevented possible secondary disasters of flooding caused by intra-area rivers.
Besides, other numerous examples, such as Millennium School Project and Mirador Copper Mine Project that stood still in the strike, have manifested the exquisite construction technology, scientific on-site management and responsible professionalism of CGGC people.
Lighting up dawn of hope by gathering loving hearts
On April 20 at 3'o clock in the afternoon (local time), CGGC Project Management Department of Yachay Knowledge City organized a special event of "signing for blessing". Mr. Jiang Xiaobing, Vice President of CGGC, Mr. Liu Canxue, Assistant to President of CGGC and Chairman of CGGC Electromechanical Construction Company, Mr. Cao Donglin, President of CGGC No.2 Engineering Company, and all of employees of Yachay Project Department expressed their wish to pray for and cheer up Ecuadorian people in stricken areas by means of signing. In the middle of signed banner, the slogan of "we are with you" in both Chinese and Spanish catching all eyeballs revealed the common aspiration of all CGGC people.
"The more hardships and dangers people are situated in, the more bright humanity warming those shines." Wen Wen, Office Administrator of Sopladora Project Department, said that many employees had initiatively raised a donation worth 5 thousand US dollars in total to make their pygmy effort to reconstruct a homeland for Ecuadorian people. Previously, CGGC Project Department of Yachay Knowledge City donated supplies worth 10 thousand US dollars to stricken employees of Yachay Company. All of Yachay staff, many moved with tears in eyes, expressed their sincere gratitude to CGGC for profound sentiments of friendship.
In addition, as a Vice President Company of Chinese Corporate Chamber of Commerce in Ecuador (CCCCE), CGGC has made a solemn promise that it will provide another 10 thousand US dollars' humanitarian donation to Ecuadorian Government in the name of CCCCE, fully reflecting CGGC's brotherhood with Ecuadorian people.
On April 21, CCCCE sent a letter of thanks to CGGC to appreciate its quick and effective participation in the field rescue and active role in the local relief work. As the letter says, CGGC has sufficiently demonstrated the courage of undertaking social responsibility and selfless contribution and revealed the good mental outlook and manner of Chinese people and enterprises as its philanthropic behavior transcended national and ethnical boundaries.
One world, one homeland. CGGC's humanitarian aid actions in Ecuador have fully embodied the noble humanitarianism, selfless friendship and social responsibility. On the battle field against Ecuadorian earthquake, CGGC concentrated quality, responsibility and love to be the cohesion of Chinese power that could cut through disasters in diligent endeavor. Cheer up, Ecuador! We are hand in hand!
