Smell of rotting flesh too much even for dogs
Even from a distance, the stench of rotting corpses is so strong it overpowers the senses.
Smells, not sights, now convey most powerfully the disaster that befell Sichuan on Monday.
Li Zhonghai, head of a rescue squad in Beichuan county, one of those worst hit by the 7.8-magnitude quake, said the 10 search dogs they brought in to help locate survivors could no longer smell anything after being exposed to the stench for hours.
'We now have to rely on life-detectors ... the dogs can't work any longer,' he told the Beijing Times.
With the stench growing worse by the hour, rescue workers and survivors seeking loved ones know the chances of those buried being found alive are fading fast.
The smell of rotting flesh, debris and household belongings mixes with the smell of disinfectant, which medical workers spray everywhere.
The stench was especially strong at the Beichuan Middle School, where more than 100 people remained buried under the debris yesterday. Several bodies pulled from the wreckage had begun turning black.
A group of schoolchildren in Mianyang developed rashes on their faces. Doctors said this was caused by the foul air.
Rising temperatures are making the situation worse.
Rescue workers can no longer wait for families to identify the bodies they find. Now, corpses are put into body bags and taken away for burial once doctors have collected hair samples from each for DNA tracing of their families.
Almost every rescue worker is equipped with a mask to help him cope with the smells.
But for the thousands of people still searching for lost relatives, and for the survivors who escaped from the wreckage of Monday's disaster, masks are a luxury. Many make crude ones from blankets or clothes. Some simply cover their nose and mouth with their hands.
