BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu
Jintao Friday went to Beichuan County of Mianyang City to visit people affected
by the southwest China earthquake, encouraging them to be confident in
overcoming hardships caused by the disaster.
Hu first visited quake victims in Shengli Village,
Leigu Town of Beichuan. More than 1,000 out of the 18,000 population in Leigu
Town died or were missing in the quake.
Chinese President Hu
Jintao comforts a wounded woman in Mianyang, a city in
quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province, May 16, 2008.He encouraged them
to be confident in overcoming hardships caused by the
disaster. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Hu went into a tent to talk to one family. Seeing the
man's daughter was injured in the quake, Hu said, "We know you've suffered. The
quake destroyed your house and injured members of your family. We feel your
anguish.
"The whole Party, army and all the people have been
mobilized to support the quake relief work," he said.
Hu went out the tent and said to people standing
along the road, "We will make every effort to rescue stranded people, treat the
injured and make proper arrangements for the victims, as well as helping you to
rebuild your homes."
Chinese President Hu Jintao consoles
locals in a village in Beichuan county, May 16, 2008. He encouraged
them to be confident in overcoming hardships caused by the
disaster. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
He
encouraged the victims to be strong, overcome difficulty with confidence,
courage and strength.
He then went to the Beichuan Middle School, where all
the teaching buildings collapsed in the quake.
Knowing there were still 300 teachers and students
buried in the ruins, Hu said, "Saving lives is still an urgent task. We should
rescue them by every possible means as long as there is a glimmer of hope."
Hu also praised the troops conducting rescue work in
Beichuan Middle School.
Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beichuan
county entrusts military medical personnels to take better care of
a three-year-old girl who lost her mother in the devastating
earthquake in Sichuan, May 16, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"You came to the frontline immediately, and threw
yourself into the rescue work regardless of your own safety and made a great
contribution.
"You have given hope, confidence and strength to the
quake-affected people," he said.
Hu said the rescue work has entered a crucial stage.
"You should be unafraid of fatigue and work around the clock, making great
efforts to keep losses to a minimum."
Chinese President Hu Jintao consoles
locals in a village in Beichuan county, May 16, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
In a field clinic in the middle school, he kissed the
face of Luo Mengxi, a three-and-half year old girl who lost her mother in the
quake.
He went back to Beichuan county seat and visited the
Nanhe Sports Center, where more than 10,000 disaster-affected people were
settled. He thanked the volunteers for their contribution to the rescue work.
He also visited the Mianyang City Central Hospital,
telling the medics to make every effort to treat the injured.
Chinese President Hu Jintao consoles
locals in a village in Beichuan county, May 16, 2008. He encouraged them
to be confident in overcoming hardships caused by the
disaster. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Hu went to the quake-hit areas Friday to console
quake-affected people and direct disaster relief operation.
Hu arrived at Mianyang City at Friday noon after more
than two hours of flight from Beijing. In the meeting room of the airport, he
and Premier Wen Jiabao, who had been directing relief work in the disaster-hit
areas since Monday, discussed the quake-relief work.
The meeting said "rescuers must reach not only towns
but also all villages." The survivors who had been rescued must be transferred
to safer places in time, and children who lost their parents and elders who lost
their family members in the quake must be properly cared for.
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.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake rose to
22,069 nationwide as of 2 p.m. Friday, while 168,669 people were injured,
according to the emergency response office of the State Council.
BEIJING,
May 16 (Xinhua) -- Various departments of China's central government continued
their work in disaster relief on Friday after a 7.8-magnitude quake jolted
Wenchuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The Ministry of Finance on Friday set aside another 1.17
billion yuan (167 million U.S. dollars) for disaster relief. The move brought
the total money earmarked from the central budget so far for quake relief to
3.41 billion yuan. Full story
BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Water
Resources on Friday dispatched nine emergency repair teams to Sichuan to assess
the conditions of reservoirs after Monday's massive earthquake.
The teams, with more than 100 experts, would be sent to
six hard-hit regions, including Mianyang, Deyang and Aba, to check the situation
of dikes, reservoirs and hydropower plants. Full story
BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The
death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan
Province rose to 22,069 nationwide as of 2 p.m. Friday, while 168,669 people
were injured, according to the emergency response office of the State Council.
Altogether 21,577 people were killed in Sichuan, close to
2,000 up from Thursday, and 159,006 injured. Full story
