Now traffic control is imposed on the gateways to Qinghai in neighboring provinces, to make sure that all vehicles on the road make ways to quake-relief vehicles.

The ministry advised drivers en route to Qinghai from other provinces to learn traffic information from radio, televisions and electronic screens on the road in order to cooperate with the traffic control.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has set up a contingent leading group led by the Health Minister Chen Zhu and the Vice Health Minister Zhang Mao.

The ministry has decided in an urgent meeting of the leading group to start the first-class response plan for health in natural disaster and to deploy health resources nationwide for the disaster relief work.

As of 6 o'clock p.m., the ministry has dispatched 287 health personnel from Qinghai and neighboring Sichuan, Gansu and Tibet, among which a 123-member health group from Qinghai and a 71-member group from Sichuan has already arrived in the quake-hit region and launched relief work.

The MOH has organized 18 groups of 396 health experts and 60 groups of 1320 health care workers ready to be deployed on call.

The MOH also instructed the local heath departments to be prepared for the blood supplying work in emergency and told the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to take precautious efforts against the spread of pestilence.

China Youth Development Foundation also has sent medicine and other supplies worth 1 million yuan ($146,480) to the affected areas.

The Chinese Red Cross Foundation has sent an urgent relief fund of 1 million yuan to its branch in Qinghai for the quake-hit areas to by tents, cold-proof supplies and foods and to support the victims.

A seven-member advance rescue team from the foundation's Beijing branch has set for Qinghai by car with a rescue dog and rescue equipments. The Beijing branch will send five more rescue workers by air on Thursday.

Another 52-member rescue team with eight ambulances, logistic vehicles has been sent by the foundation at 8 o'clock. The team is expected to arrive at Yushu about 40 hours later.

The foundation has announced to collect donations from the society.

The China Charity Federation also urged the public to donate and to help the victims in earthquake. The federation has sent a first batch of tents worthy of 1 million yuan to the quake-affected zone.

A local police officer said many injured were in desperate need of medical help. Materials and medicines such as medical alcohol, gauze and anti-inflammatory drugs were desperately needed.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has deployed three large planes to transport rescuers and relief materials to Yushu.

Two Il-76 aircraft have arrived at Yushu airport with rescuers and equipment from the national earthquake rescue team in Beijing in one, while the other has delivered 100 rescuers from China's mine exploration team, stationed in Chengdu.

Sources with the Air Force said another Il-76 heavy carrier which brings 100 geological experts and heavy vehicles will take off from Chengdu on Thursday and head for Yushu.

The 110 members of China International Search and Rescue Team(CISAR) who were air-transported by the PLA Air Force's Il-76 carriers arrived in Yushu on Wednesday evening.

The rescuers include veteran engineers and medical experts who also bring nine sniffer dogs to the epicenter.

Northwest Xinjiang Military Sub-Command has deployed three Russian-made helicopters carrying 19 rescuers who will arrive in the epicenter on Thursday afternoon.

Three more military helicopters with the command have also been called to standby for further rescue operations in the area.

Two detachments consisting of 91 soldiers with northwest Lanzhou Military Command have taken their ways from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to the epicenter, one by air and one by road traffic.

The detachments have carried with life-detection equipment and other earthquake relief devices.

The PLA air force has also ordered 1,500 of its airborne forces and 100 parachute troops to prepare to assist in rescue operations in the quake zone.

Many others are still buried under the debris of collapsed houses near the epicenter. More than 85 percent of the houses in Jiegu Township, near the epicenter, had collapsed.