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.

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.

Earthquake Photos - Concern on Sichuan, China

http://picasaweb.google.com/linzhoulai/ChinaEartchquakePhotos

Chinese, U.S. presidents talk over phone on quake, ties, Tibet

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush held a telephone conversation Tuesday, during which they discussed the latest massive earthquake in southwest China, bilateral ties and Tibet.

Bush said the United States expressed deep concerns over the quake in Sichuan province and sympathy toward the Chinese people, and is willing to provide any possible assistance for disaster relief.

Hu extended his thanks to Bush, adding that the Chinese people feel deeply sorrowful about the loss of lives of their compatriots in the strong quake.

The Chinese government is sparing no efforts in disaster relief, rescuing the injured, properly arranging the daily life of the people in the disaster areas so that social order there can be restored as soon as possible, Hu said.

A 7.8-magnitude quake rocked Wenchuan county, 159 km northwest of the Sichuan province's capital of Chengdu, at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT) Monday, killing thousands of people in eight affected provinces.

Hu said China-U.S. ties, under the joint efforts of both sides, have moved forward continuously in recent years.

The leaderships of the two countries and officials at other levels have carried out frequent visits, while exchanges and cooperation in various fields have made progress, he added.

Hu expressed hope that the fourth-round China-U.S. strategic economic dialogue next month in Washington will produce positive results.

"I would like to, together with President Bush, make the China-U.S. constructive and cooperative ties develop in a continuous, healthy and steady way," he said,

Hu also outlined China's stance on the Tibet issue. He said the Tibet issue is one of China's internal affairs, and affects the feelings of the Chinese people.

We hope the U.S. side would tackle related issues with an objective and fair-minded attitude and in a cautious and proper way, and understand and support China's justified stance, Hu added.

Hu and Bush also expressed their expectation toward their meetings at the dialogue between G8 and some developing countries in Japan's Hokkaido in July as well as during the Beijing Olympic Games in August. 

Chinese FM: British tourists back to Chengdu safe after quake

A group of 31 British tourists have arrived safe in Chengdu, capital of the quake-hit Sichuan Province in southwest China, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang late Tuesday.

The 31 British tourists encountered the massive quake Monday afternoon on their way back from a tour to Wolong, and all of them finally returned to Chengdu safe without any casualty or injury, with the assistance of the police of Dujiangyan, a city near Chengdu, according to Qin. 

Sichuan earthquake death toll exceeds 12,000

A senior official with the Sichuan Provincial government said Tuesday the death toll in the province has exceeded 12,000, and is still rising.

Li Chengyun, vice governor of Sichuan, said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that the death toll was based on incomplete figures tallied by 4:00 p.m. Tuesday. He said another 26,206 people were injured, and more than 9,400 people are buried in debris.

Li also provided a breakdown of the death toll, including 161 in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, 7,395 in Mianyang City, 2,648 in Deyang City, 959 in the provincial capital Chengdu and 700 in Guangyuan City. Other casualties were reported in cities including Ya'an, Ziyang and the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

The earthquake, which centered on the province's Wenchuan County at 2:28 p.m. Monday, has left the province in chaos. More than 3.46 million houses were wracked, Li said.

Li said he was deeply saddened by the super earthquake. He called on both officials and the masses in Sichuan to fight the disaster and rescue themselves.

Sichuan, China earth quake photos

People try to find their property among the debris of collapsed buildings in Dujiangyan, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, on May 12, 2008.

Rescuers search for students at Juyuan Middle School in Juyuan Township of Dujiangyan City, about 100 kilometers from the epicenter in Wenchuan county of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on May 12, 2008.

Illustration on earthquake of China Sichuan

Rescuers try to save wounded students at Juyuan Middle School in Juyuan Township of Dujiangyan City, about 100 kilometers from the epicenter in Wenchuan county of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on May 12, 2008. Nearly 900 students here were feared buried when a high school building collapsed in the earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale which jolted Wenchuan County at 2:28 p.m. on Monday. Rescue works were still underway by press time.

Strong aftershock rocks Chengdu

A strong aftershock measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale rocked Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, around 3:10 p.m. Tuesday.

The epicenter of Tuesday's quake was again in Wenchuan County, said Yin Zhaomin, an official with the China Seismological Bureau.

This was the strongest aftershock after the devastating quake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, hit Wenchuan County, 159 km northwest of Chengdu on Monday afternoon.

Office workers in downtown Chengdu took to the streets again after the quake. Many said they felt clearly the buildings were rocking and bottles toppled.

Experts with the China Earthquake Networks Center said strong aftershocks may still rock Wenchuan, though quakes exceeding 7.8 on the Richter scale are unlikely.

The region, which experts said is historically prone to earthquakes, has suffered more than 1,950 aftershocks in the past 25 hours, including three over 6 on the Richter scale and 14 between 5 and 6.

President Hu orders utmost effort for Sichuan quake victims

President Hu Jintao on Monday ordered all-out efforts to help those affected by a major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale that jolted Wenchuan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:28 p.m. on Monday.

Premier Wen Jiabao was on his way to the area to direct the rescue work.

The Chengdu Military Area Command has dispatched troops to help with disaster relief work in the earthquake-stricken area, military sources said.

Tian Yixiang, officer with the emergency office of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said the troops will assist local government in Wenchuan county to gauge the current situation and to help with disaster relief work.

A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan at 2:28 p.m. Monday, the State Seismological Bureau said. The epicenter of the quake was located 31.0 degrees north latitude and 103.4 degrees east longitude, the bureau said.

Premier Wen pledges to save more lives when inspecting quake-hit hospital, school

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has pledged to save as many lives as the rescue teams can in southwest China's Sichuan Province which was hit by a major quake on Monday afternoon.

Wen made the remarks during his inspections at a hospital and a school in Dujiangyan, a city northwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, partly damaged by the quake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has pledged to save as many lives as the rescue teams can in southwest China's Sichuan Province which was hit by a major quake on Monday afternoon.

The road from Dujiangyan to Wenchuan, epicenter of the quake, was blocked by rock and mud slides, holding up rescue, medical and other disaster relief teams in the city.

"Please just hold on, people are going to get you out of there!" the Premier told the people trapped in the collapsed buildings of the hospital in a loudspeaker.
When comforting patients and medical staffs in the hospital, Wen asked rescuing troops to search every corner for people waiting for salvation and carry out the rescue work in an orderly way.

"If there is a gleam of hope, we will do all the best to save the people," the Premier vowed at a middle school of Juyuan town, adding that the rescuing team would not rest until the last one under the ruin wassaved.

Chinese Pemier Wen Jiabao (2nd R) speaks to buried people at a ruined hospital in Dujiangyan city of southwest China's Sichuan Province May 12, 2008. Premier Wen flew into southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday.

"The medical experts are coming, the rescuing planes will land soon," Wen told people crying for help in the school, "I was told many trapped people have hopes to survive from the disaster."

He made a three-time bow to pay his respect to the bodies of the people killed by the quake laid on the school's square, saying that he was very depressed.
Premier Wen told officials at the temporary headquarters for disaster relief in Dujiangyan that roads to Wenchuan should be recovered as soon as possible at all costs.

"The road is the key for the relief work since we can only know the situation there when we can send peopleand we can only transport the injured out when the road is clean," Wen said.

China Sichuan quake death toll rises to 9,219

The death toll from a Monday earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan Province has climbed to 9,219, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The 7.8-magnitude quake has left 9,219 people dead in eight affected provinces and municipality including Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guizhou and Hubei, the ministry said in a release issued at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Of the killed, 8,993 were in Sichuan, 132 in Gansu, 85 in Shaanxi, eight in Chongqing and one in Yunnan, the ministry said.

The Sichuan provincial seismological bureau said more than 1,180 tremors up to six magnitude have been recorded as of 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

Government in Shifang City of Deyang City, where a major chemical leak happened after the quake, said about 600 people died, including 81 students. As many as 2,300 people are still buried, in which 920 are students.

In Anxian County of Mianyang City, about 500 people died, and 85 percent of the houses in rural areas collapsed.

Dozens of military vehicles are heading to Beichuan County, where officials said about 80 percent of the buildings collapsed.

Escaped villagers said the old town of Beichuan was tightly covered by giant swaths of debris slides, and the new town also suffered grave damages, particularly kindergartens, primary and middle schools, and vocational schools.

The rescuers were stranded about 10 kilometers from the county.

Rocks slid down the mountains and piled upon boulders the size of a house which already jammed up the road sections.

Local villagers said the rocks came down in scary roaring noises when the quake occurred. They warned that it was very dangerous to move ahead, as the rock slides could push the vehicles down the hill and straight into a river that runs in the valley. 

People stay outdoors in Mianzhu, some 60 km away from Wenchuan County, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 13, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]

Rescuers work in Dujiangyan City of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 13, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]

Over 16,000 soldiers join in disaster relief after Sichuan quake

As of 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, 16,760 Chinese soldiers have joined in disaster relief efforts after a major earthquake jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday afternoon.

China will also send 20 military planes to transport armed forces and armed police to the quake-hit areas, according to the military emergency response office on Tuesday.

Additional 34,000 armed forces from the Jinan and Chengdu military commands are advancing towards the disaster-hit regions by planes, trains, and trucks, and on foot.

A rescue team composed of 227 military medical staffs and seismologists arrived in Dujiangyan City, northwest of Sichuan's capital Chengdu earlier Tuesday morning.

The epicenter of the quake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, is located 31 degrees north latitude and 103.4 degrees east longitude.

The road from Dujiangyan, a city northwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, to Wenchuan, the epicenter, was blocked by rocks and mud slides, holding up rescue, medical and other disaster relief teams, a witness said via mobile phone.

Premier Wen Jiabao asked military personnel waiting in the city to enter into the area as soon as possible even if they had to walk to Wenchuan.

The earlier the troops arrived, the more lives they could save, he said.

1,300 rescuers reach epicenter of major quake

Some 1,300 rescue and relief troops arrived for the first time at Wenchuan County, the epicenter of Monday's major quake, and started operations in rain.

The military doctors and soldiers have started to search for survivors and treat injured people at the Yinxiu County of Wenchuan, 20 kilometers from Dujiangyan city.

The road from Dujiangyan, a city northwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, to Wenchuan, the epicenter, was blocked by rocks and mud slides, holding up rescue, medical and other disaster relief teams.

Tuesday morning, Premier Wen Jiabao ordered to remove barriers and open up roads to epicenter before 12 p.m. Tuesday after a strong earthquake jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday afternoon.

Soldiers from the Chengdu Military Command have chosen to walk to the areas with heaviest damage inflicted by the quake last night.

About 700 soldiers will soon arrive at Maoxian County and 3,000soldiers will arrive at Wenchuan County, according to sources with the Chengdu Military Command.

At 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, a 85-member medical team from the Aba military region have arrived at Lixian County after six hour walk of 32 kilometers.

The 7.8-magnitude quake, which occurred in Wenchuan Monday afternoon. A total of 9,219 people were be killed in eight affected provinces and municipality including Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guizhou and Hubei, the ministry of civil affairs said in a release issued at 7 a.m.

President Hu: quake relief government's top priority

Chinese leader Hu Jintao urged governments at all levels to regard earthquake rescue and relief as the top priority at a high profile meeting late Monday evening.

Hu, state President and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), presided over the meeting of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the CPC. The meeting called on the army, armed police and paramilitary forces, as well as medical personnel to go to the quake-hit areas as soon as possible, and mount all-out efforts to save the injured and reduce the impact caused by the havoc.

Monday's quake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale jolted Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province in southwest China at 2:28 p.m., resulting in nearly 9,000 deaths reported so far. Tremors were also reported in over half of China's provinces and municipalities, according to the China Seismological Bureau.

The meeting demanded sufficient supply of food, medicine, clothes and tents to the quake-hit areas and that telecommunication, power and water supplies and transportation access must be restored as soon as possible.

Local governments should keep a close watch on the latest development of the earthquake and its aftershocks, and guard against earthquake-induced disasters causing new casualties.

Those who spread rumors to sabotage disaster relief work would be dealt with according to China's laws and regulations.

The meeting decided to set up a disaster relief headquarters with Premier Wen Jiabao as head, and Li Keqiang and Hui Liangyu, both vice premiers, as deputy heads.

The meeting called on all party members in the quake-hit areas to devote themselves to protect the interests of the public on the front line of disaster relief work.