The sacred Olympic flame has witnessed the prosperity of Jingzhou City which was struck by floods in 1998, a torch bearer said on Monday.

Hu Chunyu, who ran in the Jingzhou torch relay in central China's Hubei Province, said he hoped the Olympic flame will give strength to the victims of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan when the flame tours the southwestern province.

Since one of the worst floods struck Jingzhou in summer of 1998, the city has rebuilt itself as a "golden granary" in the Hubei area.

"I believe the quake-hit areas will be reborn on rubble," said Hu.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2008)