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Aftershocks, supply deficiency hamper rescue efforts

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Frequent aftershocks and relief supply deficiency are impeding rescue efforts in southwest China's Sichuan, 36 hours after a powerful earthquake hit the province Saturday morning.

Injured people receive medical treatment at the People's Hospital in Lushan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 20, 2013. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province's Lushan County of Ya'an City Saturday morning.[Photo/Xinhua]

As of Sunday night, the disaster has left at least 186 people dead and more than 1.5 million affected, according to the provincial relief authorities.

Rescuers are working around the clock in the "critical first 72 hours after the disaster" to try to reach every one of those buried below earthquake debris in the epicenter of Lushan and its neighboring counties affected by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that jolted the city of Ya'an early Saturday.

Over 1,700 aftershocks have been monitored in Lushan as of 10 p.m., with the strongest measuring 5.4-magnitude, making the already ramshackle houses even more dangerous and the rescue efforts more life-threatening.

A rescue excavator plunged off a 300-meter deep cliff in the morning in Ya'an's quake-hit Baoxing County. The number of casualties have remained unknown as of Sunday night.

"Lifeline" resumes

As of 5 p.m., traffic has resumed on the road linking Baoxing to its neighboring counties of Lushan and Xiaojin and the City of Dujiangyan, resuming transportation of the stranded relief supplies to the county after its 33 hours' post-quake isolation, according to the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transportation.

The road is dubbed as the relief "lifeline" by rescuers.

Several rescue teams managed to reach Baoxing, which has a population of 60,000 and had remained hard to to access after the quake. At least 26 locals have been confirmed dead with another 2,500 being injured as of Sunday morning, according to county head Ma Jun.

"The top priority is to save lives," said Ma. "Meanwhile, we'll resettle the residents and reopen roads."

Altogether 40,000 homeless Baoxing residents are waiting to be relocated as most houses in Lingguan Township and Daxi Village in the county have suffered damage.

Airborne remote sensing images showed that more than 60 percent of buildings in the county seat had suffered damage. Latest statistics show the quake collapsed more than 26,400 houses and damaged 214 reservoirs.

Power supplies have not been fully restored in Baoxing, many parts of which are still shrouded in darkness on Sunday night.

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