According to the report sent by the Chengdu Military Command rescue team now located inside the epicenter Yingxiu Town of Wenchuan County, in south China's Sichuan Province, dozens of landslides have occurred along the roads. More than 70 percent of the roadways are damaged and all the bridges have collapsed.
Traffic blockage has made it very challenging to travel freely. Many people are still buried under rubble and injured people need immediate help. Additionally, the area is in dire need of food and drinking water, according to the report.
Rescue team members have distributed their food and drinking water to children and the wounded. The team marched into town on foot.
Li Shiming, commander of the Chengdu Military Command, ordered his soldiers to stand at ready. He said that when circumstances permit, air-drop relief supplies will be started.
Reports indicate that the regular resident population normally stands at 12,000 in the Yingxiu Town and surrounding villages, including migrants and tourists, currently inhabit the town. Further casualties have not yet been determined.
(China.org.cn by Li Jingrong May 13, 2008)