(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-04 07:22

The government should try to resume agricultural and industrial production in the quake-hit areas of Sichuan province, Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday.

Addressing a disaster-relief meeting, Wen said restoring normality in the quake-hit areas is a priority.

Governments at all levels should work hard to resume agricultural production, he said. Transport departments should channel agricultural resources, including fertilizer, diesel and seeds to ensure the summer crop doesn't suffer much.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaks at a disaster-relief meeting in Beijing, June 3, 2008. [Xinhua]

Efforts should be made to prevent the outbreak of diseases among animal and for the safe disposal of waste.

Disaster-relief groups should devote time to repair damaged equipment and machines in order to help resume agricultural production as soon as possible.

It is very important to restore industrial production, Wen said. Officials should make every effort to resume production of energy resources, and to transport coal, refined oil and natural gas.

He ordered local governments to repair national and provincial highways linking the quake-hit areas to ensure that food, drinking water and tents reach the needy, and the sick and injured are carried to places where they can get better medical treatment.

Death toll up

Another 88 people were confirmed dead by noon Tuesday, taking the death toll in the quake to 69,107, the Information Office of the State Council said. A total of 373,577 people have been injured and 18,230 are missing.

Hospitals have treated 94,565 people, 70,657 of who have been discharged; 21,342 are still in hospital and 9,781 have been transferred outside Sichuan for treatment.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a guideline on quake orphans, saying relatives should get priority in getting such children's custody.

Adoption, foster families and welfare homes are the other options, it said.

Till Friday, the number of orphaned children in Sichuan was 1,869, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

By noon Tuesday, domestic and foreign donations had reached 42.36 billion yuan ($6.1 billion).

Altogether, 171 aftershocks were recorded in the 24 hours that ended at noon Tuesday, the China Seismological Bureau said. But only one measured above magnitude 4. And the number of aftershocks recorded since May 12 stood at 10,068.

PLA soldiers were still scaling mountains in search of a missing military helicopter near Dujiangyan Tuesday.

Xinhua - China Daily