Premier Wen Jiabao Tuesday urged authorities from local and central governments to go all out to rescue the earthquake victims and minimize casualties in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

In instructions dispatched shortly after the tremor occurred, Wen demanded that relevant governmental departments transfer relief materials to quake victims as quickly as possible.

 

The supply of water, electricity, communications and transport in the earthquake-hit areas must also be restored swiftly while ensuring the safety of infrastructure facilities like reservoirs, Wen said in his instructions.

 

Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu, who is in charge of China's disaster relief work, also demanded that seismological departments closely monitor for aftershocks and start an emergency response program.

 

To date, 500 tents, 3,000 quilts and a batch of clothing and medicine have been transferred to the quake-hit areas by local departments of civil affairs.

 

Provincial Governor Li Hanbai has rushed to the area to supervise the rescue and relief work.

 

Meanwhile, army soldiers, armed police and militia reserves began to arrive Tuesday morning to provide relief and rescue.

 

By 1:20 pm (Beijing Time), 15 people were confirmed dead from the tremor while more than 390 people were injured.

 

The earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck Dayao County, 180 kilometers from the provincial capital of Kunming, at 11:16 pm Monday (Beijing Time) and was felt in Kunming.

 

The epicenter was located at Tanhua Town, at 26 degrees north latitude and 101.2 degrees east longitude, according to seismologists.

 

The provincial government has also sent two teams of officials and experts to assess the situation and help organize rescue work.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2003)