Posted 5-16-08

China's President Heads to Quake Zone

By Stephanie Ho
Beijing

(VOANews) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao is urging emergency workers to overcome all difficulties as rescue efforts from this week's powerful earthquake enter what he called their "most crucial" phase. The confirmed death toll is near 20,000, but that number could surpass 50,000 if those who are missing turn up dead. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Beijing.

China's President Hu flew into the disaster area in southwestern Sichuan Province Friday, four days after the quake struck.

Official media quote him as urging rescuers to make every effort in what he called their race against time to save survivors.

The massive relief operation includes more than 130,000 troops. State media say soldiers and police have finally reached all of the severely damaged communities near the epicenter of Monday's quake. Many had been cut off because of landslides.

The government has allocated more than $770 million for earthquake relief work.

State media say the Chinese government will especially look into the reasons why nearly seven thousand school buildings collapsed in the quake.

Also, China is allocating nearly $8 million dollars from an emergency fund to assess quake damage to Sichuan's numerous reservoirs.