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China's relief effort in quake-hit NW region

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-16 07:05

BEIJING - A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province Wednesday morning.

The disaster area sits at about 4,000 meters above sea level.

Here are some facts concerning China's all-out relief effort in the quake-hit region.

CENTRAL LEADERSHIP'S RESPONSE

Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Yushu Thursday afternoon after a three-hour flight. Wen will inspect the disaster relief work and visit those affected.

Wen postponed a scheduled visit to Brunei, Indonesia and Myanmar on April 22 to 25.

President Hu Jintao also postponed planned visits to Venezuela and Peru after a scheduled summit of Brazil, Russia, India and China slated for Thursday and Friday, and a state visit to Brazil.

Hu told the leaders he has to postpone visits to their countries in order to return home as soon as possible to participate in the quake relief work.

Hu and Wen ordered local authorities to go all out to save the earthquake victims.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, has set up a quake-relief headquarters, with Vice Premier Hui Liangyu as the head, to take care of disaster relief, epidemic prevention, seismic monitoring and public security.

TIMETABLE OUTLINED FOR RESCUE WORK

Hui specified timetable for rescue work.

-- Transport and communication facilities should be restored in 24 hours, a task that has been achieved.

-- Electricity and petrol supply should be guaranteed within 48 hours, especially in important venues including the quake relief headquarters and hospitals.

-- Within 48 hours, all quake-affected people should get access to tents to spend the night.

-- All people seriously injured in the quake should be transferred to other places including Xining, Chengdu, Lanzhou, and hospitals run by the People's Liberation Army for treatment within 72 hours.

-- Each bereaved household would get 5,000 yuan ($732 dollars) from the central budget.

MORE RESCUERS, DOCTORS ON ROUTE

Medical teams from around China have been mobilized and sent to Yushu to offer aid. The relief work is in desperate need of doctors who can speak the local Khampa Tibetan language.

Doctors had treated 4,910 people injured in the quake, among which 846 cases were severe as of 5 pm Thursday. There was no outbreak of epidemic or public health incidents in the quake-hit area.

More rescuers from across the country are en route to Yushu.

Almost 2,000 soldiers, police officers and fire-fighters were using excavators, shovels or even bare hands to comb through the debris to find survivors.

By Thursday morning there would be more than 6,000 rescue workers in the quake zone.

In addition, a team of 20 environmental protection experts are on their way to Yushu to assist local authorities in monitoring environment.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said no potential sources of pollution had been detected in the quake-hit area and water quality there was normal.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has sent the first batch of building experts to Yushu to assess construction conditions there.

DONATIONS, SUPPLIES FLOOD INTO YUSHU

Other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, as well as central government agencies, donated money and relief goods to Yushu, with each region or department contributing several million yuan on average.

Compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan expressed their care for quake-hit people, with Hong Kong and Macao people donating 4 million Hong Kong dollars ($515,375 dollars) and the Taiwan Red Cross organization donating $100,000 dollars and offering to provide aid for rescue if needed.