Residents in Sichuan have been quick to join relief efforts. Across the province, people are donating blood to ensure the supply at local blood banks.

Even near midnight on Monday, lines of people wanting to donate blood at makeshift stations across Chengdu city were still long.

Only hours after the quake, temporary facilities like this were set up by hospitals across Sichuan. Most donors headed for the stations right after they heard the appeals on the radio.

A Chengdu resident said, "I just want to do my bit for the disaster relief. It's plain and simple. It's likely that my blood can help save a life."

Local hospitals and other medical facilities are expecting a huge influx of patients, as rescue efforts free more and more people trapped under collapsed buildings. In anticipation of the strain on the local blood bank, donation vans have been deployed in all major cities across Sichuan.

Fu Chao, director of Chengdu Blood Donation Center, said, We don't want to keep the donors waiting for too long. Another donation van is coming here soon.

Since Monday evening, these blood donation stations set up at public squares and shopping malls have been busy. In cities like Chengdu, Ziyang, and Suining, tens of thousands of citizens have come forward.

(CCTV May 14, 2008)