Water and power supply have resumed and traffic and telecom services are available now in Ludian County of Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, where a quake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck early Saturday.

Suo Fei, vice mayor of Zhaotong City, said more residents made homeless by the quake had moved into tents or other temporary shelters.

The quake left four people dead and another 65 injured, and destroyed 99,353 houses, 1,100 schoolrooms, a large number of water conservancy works and some power transmission lines.

Various relief operations have been carried out in an orderly manner, according to Suo.

Shortly after the quake, Yunnan provincial Party and government authorities sent a working group to Zhaotong to help guide the disaster relief work. Specialists from the Yunnan Provincial Seismological Bureau also rushed to the site to study the situation.

Relief funds have kept flowing in from local governments at various levels including the Yunnan provincial and Zhaotong City governments. Zhaotong City has also organized a special key task force to help erect tents and temporary shelters for homeless residents.

Zhaotong City has also sent medical specialists to the quake-struck areas to help local medical organizations treat the injured and prevent an epidemic outbreak.

Educational departments in Zhaotong have also taken measures such as renting undamaged houses or erecting temporary shelters so that students can begin normal study by Monday, said the vice mayor.

Apart from dispatching personnel to repair damaged water and power facilities, Zhaotong City has also started a 24-hour on-duty system with the seismological departments to monitor the future movement of the quake.

The vice mayor also hoped that people from different walks of life would extend aid to Zhaotong, where the economy is underdeveloped.

(China Daily November 17, 2003)