Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wen inspects quake-hit Guangyuan, SW China
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived at Guangyuan City in Southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday morning.
Wen spent three hours by ship to go to Muyu Township, Qingchuan County, one of the worst-hit area of Guangyuan City to oversee rescue work and visit survivors.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao greets local people during an inspection tour in Muyu Township of Qingchuan County, one of the worst-hit area of Guangyuan City in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 15, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao comforts local people during an inspection tour in Muyu Township of Qingchuan County, one of the worst-hit area of Guangyuan City in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 15, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) comforts local people in Muyu Township, Qingchuan County, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 15, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao comforts local people during an inspection tour in Muyu Township, Qingchuan County, Southwest China's Sichuan Province May 15, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]
Monday's quake caused more than 1,400 deaths and 10,000 injuries in Qingchuan as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. More than 460 students were once under ruins of a junior middle school building in Muyu Township and about 150 have been rescued till now.
Wen said to disaster relief personnel, including firemen and medics that "the Party and the country thank and the people need you."
"You should be unafraid of difficulties and sacrifices, devoting yourself to rescue the people," he said.
Junior school student Wang Yunxiao, who survived the quake, cried to the premier that their house was crashed, they would soon be out of food, and he could not go to school.
Wen told her that the house would be rebuilt, food would be sent and school would resume too.
Wen said the Party and the country never forgot the remote quake-hit villages. He encouraged local residents to "rise from sorrow, help each other and rebuild home."
He said that "government is concerned about you and will make the utmost efforts to help you. See, a large number of soldiers are coming. Food, water and tents will also come soon."
He also visited journalists at scene reporting the disaster relief work.
He discussed with relative officials about intensifying rescue work on his way back to Guangyuan City.
More than 20,000 quake survivors rescued in SW China
More than 20,000 stranded survivors were rescued in quake-hit Sichuan Province in Southwest China by armed forces on Thursday alone.
Meanwhile, the roads to the epicenter Wenchuan County and worst-hit Beichuan County had been cleared.
As of 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, 64,040 victims had been hospitalized in Sichuan after a massive quick rocked this area. Among them, 12,587 patients were severely injured, Gao Qiang, deputy minister of health, said at a press conference here on Thursday.
Troops were poured into the worst-hit regions to repair roads connecting the epicenter.
As of 9:00 p.m. Thursday, road from Lixian to Wenchuan had been cleared. Three hours earlier, road from Mianzhu to Beichuan, the other worst-hit region, had been cleared.
As of 8:00 a.m. Thursday, more than 130,000 troops were engaged in rescue operations in areas ravaged by the quake.
Also, by Thursday morning, rescuers had reached all 58 counties and towns stricken by Monday's massive quake.
Premier Wen calls for nationwide rescue, relief efforts
Rescue operation and disaster relief for victims in the worst earthquake over decades are of top priority of the nation, and thus require concerted efforts from the whole country, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday night.
Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake that ravaged southwestern Sichuan Province and was felt in most parts of the country was the "most destructive" tremor and had the "most wide-spreading impact" since New China was founded in 1949, Wen said on a meeting of the rescue headquarters under the State Council headed by himself.
It was even more powerful than the Tangshan earthquake in 1976,Wen said. The catastrophe in northern Hebei Province claimed about240,000 lives three decades ago.
He hailed the efficiency and order the country has maintained for the past 80 hours as the country focused its resources on saving lives and disaster relief work for quake victims.
He said the government will stick to its "people-first" policy in its future rescue operations and reconstruction works.
"Saving lives is still our top priority, as long as hope of survival still exists," Wen said, urging that social stability to be maintained.
He warned relevant authorities to pay special attention to the prevention of plagues.
He said supplies of food, medicines, and tents must be ensured.
More than 50,000 people are feared dead in Sichuan alone after Monday's earthquake, with confirmed death toll in the province hitting 19,509 by Thursday afternoon.
Chinese president arrives in Sichuan, premier vows no give-up in saving lives
Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Mianyang, a city in quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province, after more than two hours of flight from Beijing on Friday morning.
During the flight, Hu opened a map, and carefully assessed the quake damage and the progress of relief work with others aboard the plane.
Hu said that after several days of endeavor, the relief work has been comprehensively launched and is proceeding in an "forceful, orderly and effective" way.
However, he said, "The challenge is still daunting, the task is still arduous and the time pressing."
Premier Wen Jiabao (R) greets President Hu Jintao upon Hu's arrival in Mianyang, a city in quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province, May 16, 2008. President Hu flew to Sichuan Friday morning to console the victims and inspect the rescue and relief work. [Xinhua Photo]
Premier Wen Jiabao greets President Hu Jintao (R) upon Hu's arrival in Mianyang, a city in quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province, May 16, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]
President Hu Jintao (2nd L) discusses with officials the quake relief work during his flight to the disaster area in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 16, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]
Although the "golden relief time", which refers to the 72 hours after an earthquake occurs, has already passed, he said, "Saving lives is still the top priority of our work."
At the same time, he said, "we need to make greater efforts in treating the injured, restoring the transportation, telecommunications and power supply infrastructure in quake-stricken areas and ensure basic living conditions for local residents."
Hu stressed, "Currently, quake relief work has entered into the most crucial phase. We must make every effort, race against time and overcome all difficulties to achieve the final victory of the relief efforts."
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, Hu's plane landed at the airport of Mianyang City.
In the meeting room of the airport, Hu, together with Premier Wen Jiabao who has been in the disaster-hit area since Monday, vice premier Hui Liangyu and vice chairman of Central Military Commission Guo Boxiong, made research and deployment on the quake-relief work.
After that, Hu rushed to Beichuan county by automobile.
Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), flew to the quake-hit area to console the victims and inspect the rescue and relief work.
Hu will also visit the troops and medical workers who are engaged in around-the-clock relief efforts in the quake areas.
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the confirmed death toll in Sichuan alone was 19,509 and more than 50,000 people were feared dead.
Also Friday morning, Premier Wen Jiabao told Chinese media on a train in Sichuan that saving lives remained the top priority almost four days after the quake.
"We won't give up if there is even the slightest hope of finding more survivors," he said.
Wen said the quake was "the biggest and most destructive since new China was founded in 1949," and the quick response had helped reduce casualties to the greatest extent.
The premier vowed "to pour out whatever the country is capable of" to combat the massive disaster and fight till the end.
To move forward with relief work, the country needs confidence, resolution, perseverance and forceful organization work, he said.
"We believe that so long as we rely on the people, the military and the civilians unite together, the officials and the general public unite together, and together we stand, we will surely win this anti-quake battle," Wen stressed.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Chinese premier encourages survivors to have confidence in rebuilding their homes
While Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was reiterating the importance of saving people's lives, he encouraged survivors to have confidence in rebuilding their homes.
On Wednesday morning, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao oversaw the rescue work at Beichuan County, one of the regions worst hit by Monday's massive earthquake,
The death toll in Beichuan is estimated at 3,000 to 5,000, with nearly 10,000 injured.
While inspecting rescue operations in Qushan Township, two kilometers from Beichuan County, Wen met several soldiers who rushed to carry an injured girl. Wen asked people to make way for the girl.
"Time is life," he stressed and urged rescuers to do their utmost to rescue survivors.
In Beichuan Middle School where more than 1,000 people were buried by the toppled buildings, rescuers continued hollering into a megaphone to remind those buried to keep calm.
"This is very important to let them know rescuers are trying to save them," Wen said, "Even though there is only a slim chance of survival, we should not lose hope."
As of Wednesday morning, more than 300 survivors had been evacuated from the school's debris.
Wen visited survivors temporarily settling down in the school playground. "I feel very sorry that you have lost your family members and relatives during the devastating quake," he said.
"But survivors should live on and live an even better life," he said, "When facing with calamity, the most important thing is that we should have determination to combat the disaster and are confident in a better future."
"With our joint efforts, we can build new homes and bring up our children," he said, "Our happy life is the best consolation to the dead."
"I believe we and our descendants will have a better life," he said.
In Qushuan Township, Wen also met several American volunteers.
"On behalf of the Chinese government, I'd like to express my thanks to the Americans for your help," he said.
While answering questions raised by reporters from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, he also expressed his thanks to Hong Kong compatriots.
Chinese Politburo stresses saving lives first in quake relief
Saving lives should be taken as the top priority during the quake relief after nearly 15,000 confirmed dead, a high profile meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee was told Wednesday.
The meeting of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee, presided over by President Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, urged more army, armed police, firemen and special policemen, as well as medical personnel be rushed to the quake-hit areas.
The meeting called on various government departments to take measures to provide appropriate accommodations to survivors, ensuring that they are well fed, clad and sheltered.
"Attention should be paid to maintain social stability," the meeting was told.
It presses resumption of transportation, electricity, communication and water supply as soon as possible.
A strong quake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan County in northwest part of Sichuan Province at 2:28 p.m. on Monday. The death toll tallied 14,463 by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday in Sichuan. Another 14,051 were missing, 25,788 buried in debris, and 64,746 injured.
Tens of thousands of army personnel and armed police have arrived at or are approaching the epicenter to carry out disaster relief work.
As of 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, emergency relief teams sent by the China Seismological Bureau (CSB) and 13 provinces and municipalities had saved 84 survivors in Sichuan.
Disaster relief goods have been airdropped to major quake-hit areas including Wenchuan County and Mianzhu City.
Public donations in both cash and goods to the quake-hit areas had risen to 877 million yuan (125 million U.S. dollars) as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, updating a previous figure of 603 million yuan, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
