German mission brought relief after earthquake

On May 12, 2008, the world momentarily held its breath in shock upon hearing that a devastating earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale had hit Sichuan province and wreaked havoc in the lives of more than 10,000 people, including students and teachers caught in schools that collapsed.

As the first news reports and images started to come out, it quickly became clear that despite all the disaster relief and rescue efforts the central government had immediately undertaken, the death toll would continue to rise.

The German Red Cross team was among the first groups of foreign aid organizations and international rescue teams to arrive in the quake-stricken area in order to support Sichuan's relief efforts.