They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this video of some of the earthquake's damage in China's Sichuan Province is quite powerful. Originally from a Chinese newscast, it shows a small picture of the overall damage from this massive earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale.
It will probably be several weeks before we know the full extent of the damages, and at first glance, the situation doesn't look too promising. On the other hand, even though the quake caused widespread damage nationwide, with the rising death toll currently at 8,639, the situation could have been worse.
Its epicenter was in a sparsely populated area, about 55 miles away from Chengdu's massive population of more than 10 million. At least two chemical companies were destroyed, but so far, many other companies have also only suffered relatively minor damages. The railway system and Three Gorges Dam remain intact.