| |
DUJIANGYAN - China has mobilised more than 50,000 soldiers to help with disaster relief work following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked the country's southwest, state media said Tuesday.
A total of 16,760 soldiers had already begun relief efforts as of Tuesday morning, while another 34,000 were advancing toward quake-hit regions by plane, train, truck and on foot, Xinhua news agency said.
The People's Liberation Army also will free up 20 military planes for use in transporting soldiers and armed police to the affected areas, the agency said, quoting the PLA's emergency response office.
The quake has blocked many roads leading to the hardest-hit areas around the epicentre at the city of Wenchuan in Sichuan province.
"We must try our best to open up roads to the epicentre and rescue people trapped in the disaster-hit areas," Premier Wen Jiabao told an emergency meeting in the quake-ravaged city of Dujiangyan on Tuesday, according to Xinhua.
Wen said the military forces that had been deployed for the relief effort should also prepare for the air-dropping of food and medicine into affected regions.
"At present, we have great difficulties carrying out our rescue work," Wen said.The PLA, the world's largest fighting force, had 2.3 million service men and women as of 2005.
It has a long history of intervening to help with relief efforts following the country's frequent earthquakes, floods and other disasters.
It deployed more than a million soldiers and paramilitary troops in January and February to help the country dig out of severe winter ice and snow storms. - AFP/vm
|
