NewsMine — deceptions — plagues — sars — china — Viewing Item

Chinese villagers riot burn quarantine center { April 29 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6355251%255E1702,00.html http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6355251%255E1702,00.html Chinese villagers riot over SARS From correspondents in Beijing April 29, 2003 UP to 2000 villagers torched a school earmarked as a SARS quarantine centre, ransacked government offices and overturned cars in China's first reported instance of social unrest related to SARS. The mayhem in Chagugang town, a rural area not far from the heavily populated port city of Tianjin, happened on Sunday night after the Tianjin government decided to convert a school into a SARS isolation facility. "The plan was to transform the high school into an isolation centre," a Chagugang government official, who did not want to be named, said. "When nearby villagers heard this they feared they would be caught by the disease. "The head of the villages explained to the people but they wouldn't listen." He said about 2000 angry residents marched to the school and ransacked it, smashing windows before setting it alight. "They went to the school and burned the school. It can't be used any longer," he said. "Then they went to the local education office and smashed it to pieces. Then they went to the town government office and smashed the whole building, breaking windows, removing doors and throwing them out of the windows. "They broke in and smashed everything, overturned vehicles. All facilities are out of use now." According to the official, armed police and anti-riot police arrived but by that time the villagers had run away. "Today it is okay but at that time the situation was very serious," said the official, who estimated the crowd was 2000-strong but that only a core of 30 to 40 people took part in the destruction. "The rest cheered them on," he said. Tianjin, 150km south-east of Beijing, has so far reported 43 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome cases, including two deaths. It has also acknowledged 67 suspected cases. Since coming clean about the extent of the SARS epidemic in China, authorities have begun imposing tough quarantine measures in their quest to stem the disease's spread.

200 sars cases misdiagnosed in china 4000 quarantined beijing { April 25 2003 } Beijing running out of drugs { April 29 2003 } Beijing sees sars peaking Beijing to cut sars hospitals { May 31 2003 } Cases honk kong level off { April 23 2003 } China fires officials coverup { April 20 2003 } China hiding sars { April 18 2003 } China sars fear epidemic { May 8 2003 } Chinese villagers riot burn quarantine center { April 29 2003 } Fewer infections { April 27 2003 } Millions trapped beijing { April 27 2003 } No sars billboard beijing [jpg] Outbreak exploding taiwan Outbreak plunges china economy { April 28 2003 } Peaked everywhere but china { April 28 2003 } Pneumonia outbreak honk kong Sars 4 29 03 [jpg] Sars 42 cases 2 more dead { April 6 2003 } Sars sparks riot { April 29 2003 } Taiwan 5 12 03 [jpg] Who lifts travel advisory { June 24 2003 } Who lifts travel warnings { May 23 2003 } Files Listed: 23

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