SW China quake toll remains at 38, one missing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-03 22:57

Though both the central and local Sichuan and Yunnan governments had forwarded more than 52,000 tents and 33,000 quilts combined to the quake zone, the MCA's disaster relief official Pang Chenmin admitted they were not enough for all the quake-affected people to spend a warm winter.

"The people in the disaster zone are facing two major difficulties, namely places to live and clothes and quilts to keep them warm," Pang said at the press conference.

There was also huge pressure on the government to ensure the people spend a warm winter due to the severe damage to infrastructure, including roads and communications in the quake zone, as well as the short time left for reconstruction before the winter arrived, he said.

The new semester for the students in the quake zone, scheduled to start on September 1, was postponed because some school buildings had either collapsed or became too dangerous, Pang said.

The government has sent 1,000 large tents, each covering an area of 36 square meters, to serve as temporary classrooms to ensure all students return to school in a few days.

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