Disaster aftermath: Race for survivors

Soldiers rushed to plug cracks in a dam scarred by a powerful earthquake, while aid supplies arrived in the epicentre for the first time yesterday.

Rescuers scoured flattened mountain villages for thousands of missing and buried victims amid fears the death toll of nearly 15,000 would soar far higher.

Tens of thousands of troops, firefighters and civilians raced to save more than 25,000 people buried across a wide swathe of southwest Sichuan province under collapsed schools, factories and hospitals after Monday’s 7.9 magnitude quake.

Media coverage

Unlike previous natural disasters in China, official media have reported prominently on the quake and state television cancelled regular programming to run 24-hour coverage.

Scenes of destruction and death have been shown, along with prominent focus on Premier Wen Jiabao, who rushed to Sichuan on Monday to oversee the rescue work.

The show of official empathy was aimed at reassuring the public about the government’s response and also showing the world the country is ready to host the Beijing Olympics in August.

Yesterday’s leg of the Olympic torch relay in the southeastern city of Ruijin began with a minute of silence.

Moments of joy

Amid the overwhelming gloom, there were also moments of joy.

In Mianzhu, where thousands have already been confirmed dead, about 500 people were pulled out alive from crushed buildings.