Red Cross teams shifting to reconstruction work

The Red Cross society of China has shifted focus from search and rescue to post-disaster reconstruction in the quake hit Ludian county in Yunnan province the move comes after the passing of the key 72 hour rescue period.

The Red Cross society is not only focusing on rescuing people buried in the rubble, but also on post-disaster reconstruction, said the leader of the society’s earthquake rescue team, Sun Shuopeng.

According to Sun, the society has sent out 200 rescuers in four teams. 130 were assigned to search and rescue where as the remaining were in charge of setting up public restrooms, restoring water, and distributing supplies.

Sun says that eight hundred tents have been sent to the epicenter of the quake hit region and that about five hundred have already been set up. The society plans to pitch the remaining three hundred at a resettlement center.

The society is also looking into buying 190 metric tons of rice and 1,300 beds.

According to the society, most victims don’t have beds to sleep on and must either sleep on the floor or on thin boards or plastic bags. Night temperatures in the disaster area are low.

Ludian is on the earthquake belt which suffered an earthquake in 2004. The society will assist in the local government in choosing appropriate places to build new communities, Sun said.

Ding gang, deputy director of the Red Cross society in Qingdao, says that victims often ask rescuers to search for personal belongings that have been buried in the rubble.

“It’s hard to say no to victims, their requests are very reasonable, however since we are short staffed rescuing lives must take priority, Ding said.

The Red Cross society of China announced in a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday that the society has collected 38 million yuan ($6.15 million) to help victims of the deadly earthquake.

As of Thursday, the magnitude 6.5 earthquake had killed 615 people.

Questions:

1. Where did the earthquake hit?

2. How many beds are the society looking to purchase?

3. How much money did the society collect for victims of the earthquake?

Answers:

1. Ludian county Yunnan province.

2. 1300.

3. 38 million yuan.

The story is broadcast by Eric Jou.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）