Police step up patrols in quake areas

LUSHAN, Sichuan - Police in quake-hit Lushan of Southwest China's Sichuan province will step up patrols to ensure law and order, said the Ministry of Public Security on Wednesday.

Police will tighten up security and close loopholes of security and fire control at settlement sites, banks and relief agencies, according to a statement from the ministry's field headquarters in Lushan County of Sichuan, the quake epicenter.

Vice Minister of Public Security Huang Ming, who heads the field headquarters, urged police officers to work with local government officials and community workers and help organize volunteers to maintain traffic and social order, the statement said.

Police will coordinate with other agencies to update information about the quake relief and assist locals in restoring normality and preventing secondary disasters, it added.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake has left 193 dead, 25 missing and 12,211 injured as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday.