Recovery work ongoing in quake-hit Yingjiang
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Rescuers have ended large-scale searches through quake rubble for trapped people in Yunnan province, local authorities said over the weekend.
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A medical volunteer from Beijing provides medical care for people from the Dai ethnic group in Hefei village, Yingjiang, Yunnan province on Sunday. After the earthquake jolted Yingjiang on Thursday, volunteers from other provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Sichuan and Fujian, went to the quake-hit zones and took part in rescue and relief work. |
More than 8,000 rescuers are still checking and repairing buildings damaged in the magnitude-5.8 quake that jolted Yingjiang county on Thursday noon, leaving 25 dead and another 314 injured, said a spokesman with rescue headquarters.
The earthquake toppled the homes of 1,039 families and left 4,994 others seriously damaged, mainly in the county seat near the border with Myanmar.
Many stores and restaurants have resumed business in the county seat. Mobile phone service and power supplies were also restored on Saturday.
Local health departments have dispatched a team of 60 people to sterilize the quake-stricken area, especially the shelters, to prevent epidemic outbreaks, said Zhou Yun, deputy director of Yingjiang's public health bureau.
More than 700 medical staff are working in Yingjiang to treat the injured and help with health work, Zhou said.
Most of the severe cases were sent to Lianghe county, 40 kilometers away.
Liu Huaqing, a psychologist from Huilongguan Hospital in Beijing will hold lectures for students and teachers when the school reopens.
Kong Legan, deputy chief of Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, which administers Yingjiang, said that all schools in the county will restart March 21.
The Yunnan Youth Development Foundation built a volunteer station on the downtown square on Friday, inviting youths in the city to help the victims.
By Sunday afternoon, the foundation had drawn 200 volunteers, with the youngest only eight years old. It also provided free TV shows and cartoons, enticing students to stay near the square.
China Mobile and China Unicom set up calling stations in the downtown area on March 10, offering free national and international calls.
As of 9 am on Sunday, 5,873 tents as well as more than 5,554 quilts and 1,356 coats had been dispatched to the homeless, according to local government. Two villages in the county were severely damaged and villagers are living in shelters.
So far, no secondary disasters, such as landslides and barrier lakes, have been reported, though land resources staff are still monitoring the situation.
The Ministry of Finance on Saturday allocated 50 million yuan ($7.6 million) to repair infrastructure, including roads and water systems.
The ministry, together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, had previously allocated 55 million yuan to relocate and settle local residents as well as provide them with living subsidies.
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