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Ladies and gentlemen: Good morning! Today I'm deeply grieved to brief you the updates of Sichuan Wenchuan massive earthquake disaster and relief work. A massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan County , Sichuan Province at 14:28 PM on May 12, and the disaster was exceptionally rare of its kind in terms of the scale of devastation, number of casualties and the difficulty of relief task required. First of all, the disaster took place with extreme suddenness at regular working hours and class periods, directly causing the collapse of an amount of premises in an instant with a large number of people being buried underneath the rubble. Second of all, the loss of lives and personal injuries are extremely huge. As at 7:00P.M. of May 22, the death toll reaches 55239, the injured 281066 and the missing 24949. Thirdly, the devastating effect of the earthquake registered an exceptional large degree of gravity. According to incomplete statistics, 5.9325million buildings were damaged, 5.4619million were collapsed and millions of people were made homeless. Some townships in severely affected areas and the Beichuan County of Mianyang City were leveled to the ground. The earthquake also caused a severely damaged situation of infrastructures such as highways, railways, bridge constructions, power supply, telecommunications, irrigation works as well as factory buildings. Fourthly, the scope of disaster-stricken area is exceptionally extensive. Of the total number of 21 cities and prefectures in Sichuan province, 19 were affected by this massive earthquake disaster in varying degrees with severely affected area covering 100,000 square kilometers involving 6 cities and prefectures, 88 counties and districts, 1204 townships and 27.92 million people. Fifthly, relief work is extremely hardened. The earthquake disaster took place mainly in mountain areas with rather complex geologic structures. Earthquake-triggered huge landslides and mud-rock flows blocked the traffic and disabled communication, making disaster-stricken areas inaccessible by rescue teams for a moment and thus delaying the transportation of the injured. After the earthquake took place, General Secretary Hu Jintao immediately held and presided over Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC, making case study and deployment for the earthquake and disaster-relief work. At the critical moment of constant aftershocks and frequent risks, General Secretary Hu Jintao also made personal appearance in the severely affected areas, directing relief work onsite and offering condolences to the victims in disaster-stricken areas. Premier Wen Jiabao assumed the post of commander-in-chief for the general headquarters of State Council for earthquake and disaster-relief work, and paid personal visit to the victims of the disaster 2 hours after the massive earthquake took place. The deep concern and strong support shown by CCCPC and the State Council have pointed out the direction for the relief work and also provided the basic guarantee for the final victory of the disaster fighting battle. Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Sichuan Provincial People's Government immediately activated the seismic emergency programming and set up the Sichuan provincial headquarters for 5.12 Earthquake and Disaster-relief Work with Liu Qibao, Secretary of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial People's Congress, as commander and Jiang Jufeng, Deputy Secretary of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Sichuan Provincial Governor, as deputy commander. Arriving in disaster-stricken areas at first time, Mr. Liu Qibao and Jiang Jufeng set saving lives as the top priority, directed the rescue work onsite and made emergency deployment for the earthquake and disaster-relief work. With disaster-relief commanding authorities being organized at all levels of cities, prefectures as well as counties and sections, a powerful command and relief system was established in the whole Sichuan Province with presence of all levels of leaders at the frontal line directing the rescue and relief work. Under the strong leadership of CCCPC, the State Council and Central Military Commission of CPC, the provincial efforts of earthquake fighting and disaster relief are now in orderly and efficient progress. Firstly, organize with all efforts to rescue survivors. We have adhered to a human-oriented principle during the relief work, set saving lives of the masses as the top priority and are racing against time to search, rescue survivors and give medical treatment to those injured. Included in the rescue work in those disaster-stricken areas are over 140,000 PLA soldiers, armed police, fire and police forces and military reserved forces personnel as well as 48680 medical and first-aid staff members. People saved from the rubble totals 83,988 and the number of the injured being accepted by provincial hospitals reaches 26323, of which 14428 are seriously wounded and 3179 have been transported to Chonqing, Xi'an , Guangzhou , Kunming , Guiyang , Shanghai , Hangzhou and Nanjing for medical treatment. Secondly, conduct active efforts to collect financial and material donations. Sichuan provincial department of finance has so far received RMB5.386billion for the special purpose of disaster relief, of which 4.083 billion yuan is allocated by the state revenue. The figure contributed by provincial and city (prefecture) financing to disaster-stricken areas amounts to 5.632 billion yuan, of which provincial allocation takes up 4.1billion yuan and city (prefecture) 1.532 billion yuan. According to incomplete statistics, Sichuan province has reported a monetary donation of various types totaling 2.833 billion yuan. Forces from all aspects have been deployed to transport relief materials to disaster-stricken areas through means of road and waterway transportation as well as manual handling. 5425 units of transportation vehicles and 1435 airplane sorties have been put into this rescue effort. The whole Sichuan province has delivered to disaster-stricken areas a total of 259900 tents, 948000 cotton-padded quilts, 761000 articles of clothing, 50002 tons of food and drinking water, 44100 tons of grain oil (including 2535 tons of cooking oil), 23.3million bottles (boxes, pieces or bags) of medical supplies and 226600 units of medical instruments. Right now, post-earthquake commodity supply is restoring and market prices remain stable in disaster-stricken areas. Thirdly, race against time to repair the damaged infrastructures. Top priority is to clear the roads and resume communication, power and water supply, creating necessary conditions for the relief work. With regard to traffic and transportation, we have cleared the main roads leading to the 8 severely damaged counties including Beichuan, Qingchuan, Pingwu, Maoxian, Lixian and Wenchuan in the shortest time possible. Partial roads to other townships are still under repair. As for communications, the emergency repair work has restored public communications for a total of 109 townships in the 8 most severely damaged counties, which had been previously disabled for this purpose. Of the 1307 townships previously cut off power supply as a result of the earthquake, 1,032 have been restored. Power supply has also resumed for the 10,028 of the 10457 villages as well. As for water supply, tremendous work has been devoted to the repairing of damaged water facilities and delivery of drinking water has been organized to the disaster-stricken areas so as to basically guarantee sufficient amount of domestic water for the masses and rescue teams in those disaster-stricken areas; extreme attention has also been given to the security of irrigation works in disaster-stricken areas and efforts have been reinforced to monitor reservoirs and barrier lakes so as to detect and eradicate the hidden risks and make well-planned emergency programming. So far, there is no major irrigation hazard being observed. Fourthly, spare no efforts to resettle the victims of the disaster. Try to transfer the victims of the disaster to relatively safer locations and set up relief stations to provide with life necessities such as food, drinking water and tents so that people will have sufficient amount of clothes to wear, clean water to drink and a place to take shelter from. The number of temporarily resettled victims in the whole province has amounted to 5,475,243. The policy of the State Council on offering a subsidy of 10 yuan and 0.5 kilogram of grain for each victim on a daily basis has already been fully implemented. The implementation of the policy of offering a monthly 600 yuan to each of the orphaned children, senior citizens as well as the disabled in the disaster-stricken areas and right now the efforts are undertaken to identify those qualified for this policy. Fifthly, efforts of epidemic disease prevention and control are undertaken in a full-rounded manner. We attach great importance to the work of epidemic disease prevention and control in the wake of the massive disaster and are making advance prevention efforts and deployment. We have compiled and published 6 million copies of Onsite Operation Manual for Sanitary and Disease Control Work after Earthquake Disaster, sent out 9,543 person-times of medical workers for disease control and prevention to earthquake-stricken areas and delivered 19.2 million tons of sterilizing medicines with a sterilized area of 42,900 square meters. A number of 3450 sanitation monitoring staff workers have also been sent to supervise partial water samplings in severely damaged key counties (cities) and direct people to scientifically utilize water supply at the temporarily established living quarters. Proper Measures have been taken in timely manner to treat the dead bodies with those cremated and buried amounting to 50766. So far, there's no earthquake-related epidemic disease and public health emergency being reported yet. Sixthly, make earnest efforts to maintain social stability in disaster-stricken areas. We have enhanced security patrol forces to prevent possible stealing and robbery. Special efforts are also given to the security of important locations such as banks and department stores. We have resorted to an extensive scope of media coverage by broadcasting, television, internet and text message in the process and reinforced the direction of media guide with positive promulgation and motivation so as to check the spread of rumors and eradicate the fears of the masses. Efforts have also been devoted to aftershock monitoring and warning so that latest seismic situation can be correctly announced in a timely manner. As of May 22, Information Office of Sichuan Provincial People's Government has held 10 press conferences in Chengdu and Party members as well as youth volunteers are motivated to go deep into disaster-stricken areas, offering ideological assistance and psychological condolences to the family members of those victims. We're happy to see that social stability prevails in the disaster-stricken areas and people remain collected and calm as well. Leadership of CCCPC, the State Council and Central Military Commission, the provincial earthquake relief work has gained a lot of concerns, supports and assistance from various localities, departments and all aspects of the society. Hong Kong , Macao and the international communities also provided active assistance in the relief effort, dispatching 7 searching and rescue teams ,6 international medical relief teams and contributing a donation of all kinds of relief materials totaling 716 tons to the disaster areas in Sichuan province. Commissioned by our provincial party secretary Liu Qibao, the provincial governor Jiang Jufeng, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and the Sichuan People's Government as well as the people of disaster-stricken areas in Sichuan province to express my highest consideration and heartfelt gratitude to the People's Liberation Army officers and soldiers, armed police forces, military reserved police officers, life-saving medical and rescue personnel, journalists from home and abroad reporting at the frontal line for in-depth news coverage, all regions and departments offering selfless assistance to the disaster-stricken areas as well as people of all nationalities, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots and overseas Chinese! My gratitude also goes out to those foreign governments and international friends who are giving strongest support to our earthquake relief efforts under way. At present, the earthquake relief work in our province is still at a crucial moment with tremendous load of work required to be done and also the time is pressing. We will resolutely implement the policies and deployment by CCCPC and the State Council, particularly conscientiously implement the important directives of General Secretary Hu Jintao and other central authorities, so as to promote the earthquake relief work with efficient in an orderly manner. Firstly, unswervingly give top priority to rescue effort. Continue to rescue survivors and accelerate the expansion of rescue areas. Shift the focus from rescue survivors to the treatment of the wounded and injured ones in timely manner. Enhance co-ordination of convergence and transfer some of the injured to cities in the neighboring provinces in the eastern, central and southern part of China where better treatment conditions are available, therefore bringing down the casualties to the lowest level. Secondly, try every possible way to resettle the victims. Place grain supply and water delivery as top priority and make sure the masses in the disaster-stricken areas have sufficient food to eat and clean water to drink. Strengthen the efforts of tent collection and build convenient houses and shelters at temporarily established relief stations, trying to provide with accommodations for 98% of the victim population together with safe, economical and practical residence. Make sure there is no single person suffering from hunger, coldness and water shortage. Care for orphaned children, senior citizens and the disabled and make sure the resettling and condolence work is done in a proper way. Thirdly, effectively strengthen health and epidemic prevention work. The current time is a peak period of disease outbreak and the situation proves extremely grim. We will put the prevention work at a more prominent position, further enhance the disease prevention and control forces, transform rescue teams and especially the health workers as epidemic prevention teams, and as well as groups of the garrison soldiers. Actively organize health staff at township and village levels in the disaster areas to assume epidemic prevention tasks. Fourthly, accelerate infrastructure repair. Grasp every second to repair the damaged facilities and equipments and try to resume road access to disaster-stricken areas and restore power, communication and water supply in these areas in the shortest time possible. Strengthen monitoring and prevention of landslides, mud-rock flows and other geological disaster risks, keep close watch of barrier lakes and hanging lakes, and double efforts to rule out reservoir hazards so as to guarantee the normal operation of reservoir dams and many other key facilities. Fifthly, make active preparations for post-disaster reconstruction. Conduct timely assessment of loss survey and lay a solid foundation for post-disaster reconstruction. The post-disaster reconstruction planning should also take into consideration the work of industrialization and urbanization promotion as well as the construction of a new countryside. Formulate rural residential planning in advance so as to ensure residence for rural population before the winter. Combine the reconstruction work with supports by east and central provinces , and strive to continuously improve road situations and other infrastructures within 3 years, thus creating brand new villages, townships and cities. Besides, we will devote continued efforts to the prevention of secondary disasters, enhancing ideological assistance to the masses and the maintenance of social stability so as to promote the development and stability through earthquake relief work, contributing the greatest efforts to the promotion of economic and social development of Sichuan Province . Under the strong leadership of CCCPC and the State Council and with the concern and support of various regions and departments as well as all the sectors of society, we have strong belief that the solidarity struggle by our cadres and masses will finally bring China the full-rounded victory of the earthquake fighting and disaster-relief effort. Thank you all for your attention! Now, my colleagues and I can answer your questions.
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