This earthquakes devastation is huge. Thousands and thousands of people are dead and many are injured. The earthquake crushed buildings and flattened whole towns.   The earthquake occurred in Sichuan just near Chengdu.  Time is a crucial factor because many people are stuck under buildings with no food or water and have been there for days and they may never be found. Armies of specially trained rescue workers and sniffer dogs were brought to help find people buried under the wreckage. Bad weather and cracked roads have made it difficult  to get to the injured people. And there have been lots of after shocks which are like  mini earthquakes after the big earthquake that cause more devastation. The government has had to make more stricter building rules making the people put steel rods in to the building to make the buildings more resistant to earthquakes by putting steel rods in the  buildings. When the buildings sways the steel rods will help it hold together.   The government is under a llot of pressure to  make building regulations better after this earthquake because of the little number of buildings that withstood the earthquake which has  forced the government to investigate the building regulations. Australia has offered to help china with rescue workers at the ready to help if they are needed. The long term affects on theses people are their friends and family a house may get crushed but you can always build another one but when a person dies you can never replace them. The short term affects on these people are that some have no shelter over their head with no food or water and are grieving over their loved ones.