AN intense rescue operation was under way in Yunnan Province yesterday, after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Ludian County of Zhaotong City in Yunnan Province on Sunday, killing at least 398 people and leaving 1,801 others injured.

    Yunnan has sent 7,000 rescuers, including 5,000 soldiers, police officers and firefighters, to the quake-hit areas in Zhaotong City and Qujing City.

    The rescue work has been hampered by continuous downpours, which have disrupted traffic, lowered temperatures in the remote area, and made food and medicine shortages even more serious.

    The Central Government yesterday sent tens of thousands of tents, quilts and other disaster-relief materials to the affected areas, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said yesterday.

    The Central Government has also allocated 600 million yuan (US$97.3 million) to fund rescue and relief, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The funds will be used to search for survivors, relocate local residents, pay for medical treatment, help console bereaved families and make emergency repairs to public facilities.

    President Xi Jinping ordered late Sunday night that authorities give top priority to saving people’s lives, minimizing casualties and guaranteeing a proper settlement for victims.

    Premier Li Keqiang walked some 5 km on a muddy road yesterday to reach the epicenter of the earthquake in Longtoushan Village, Ludian County. The 59-year-old premier climbed over the rubble of collapsed homes and visited injured villagers in a makeshift tent hospital.

    Shen Taikuan, a villager in Longtoushan, was carrying his son on his back while talking to Li. “My son was found at midnight. Thank goodness he was not badly injured,” Shen told the premier.

    The premier urged Shen and other injured villagers to go to the clinics as soon as possible.

    Li thanked the soldiers who had worked to rescue survivors through the night. He explained that because rescue efforts were still within the 72-hour period, “all strength” must be devoted to the operation.

    (SD-Xinhua)

    (Special report on P3)