This Day, That Year

Editor’s Note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

Since it was established on April 27, 2001, the China International Search and Rescue Team has taken part in at least 10 rescue missions in countries including Japan, Iran, Haiti and New Zealand, saving tens of thousands of lives.

One mission was in Indonesia, when a magnitude-8.7 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra set off a tsunami on Dec 26, 2004. It wreaked death and devastation across the Indian Ocean coastline. The China International Search and Rescue Team sent two batches of 70 members to Banda Aceh helping search and rescue operations as seen in the item from Jan 12, 2005, in China Daily (right).

In 2015, a 62-member rescue team with six rescue dogs was sent to Kathmandu, Nepal, after a magnitude-7.9 earthquake struck the country on April 25, 2015. They rescued two people buried under rubble, administered emergency treatment to almost 2,700 victims and evacuated 430 buildings.

The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, a network of countries and groups focused on search and rescue operations, has certified the China International Search and Rescue Team as a “heavy urban search and rescue team”, which means its members can be mobilized within eight hours of a request and are self-sufficient for at least 72 hours for a response assignment of up to 10 days in challenging conditions.