Transportation for quake relief work enhanced

BEIJING - China's transportation sector is beefing up efforts to ensure transportation for quake relief personnel and supplies in southwest China, where two deadly earthquakes occurred on Friday.

The Civil Aviation Administration issued a notice Saturday ordering airline companies to ensure flights and dispatch chartered flights if necessary to transport relief materials and personnel to the quake zone in Yunnan Province.

The administration has asked the Yibin airport in Sichuan province, the nearest airport to the quake-hit county of Yiliang in Yunnan, to operate around-the-clock to handle aid flights.

A train left Yunnan province's capital of Kunming Friday night, transporting food, water and other relief supplies to the quake zone.

The State Administration of Work Safety announced Saturday that it has sent 622 rescuers to the area.

A total of 80 people have been confirmed dead as of Saturday noon after multiple earthquakes struck Yiliang and neighboring areas on Friday.