The central government is giving top priority to rescue and relief following the deadly earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province. The Ministry of Civil Affairs has just briefed the media on measures being taken.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs has just briefed the media on measures being taken.

Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Luo Pingfei said the government has released 860 million yuan for rescue and evacuation. The Civil Affairs Ministry has also sent over 60,000 tents and 50,000 quilts.

The ministry said operations face several obstacles, including transport, the huge number of people who need aid, and bad weather. Also at the press conference, the State Seismological Bureau said predicting earthquakes is not as straightforward as some may think. The bureau says predicting quakes remains a hard task for the whole world.

(CCTV May 14, 2008)