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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits an injured child at the People's Hospital in the earthquake-hit Yiliang County/XINHUA

Focus on China

Chinese premier visits earthquake disaster zone

The earthquakes cut off electricity and triggered landslides, blocking roads, Xinhua said.

Li Fuchun, the head Luozehe township, identified as the epicentre, told Xinhua: “Roads are blocked and rescuers have to climb mountains to reach hard-hit villagers.”

Peng Zhuwen, a worker at a zinc mine in Luozehe, added: “It is scary. My brother was killed by falling rocks. The aftershocks have struck again and again. We are so scared.”

Yunnan’s civil affairs department said that 6,650 houses had been destroyed and 100,000 people evacuated. There were also fears of disease after thousands of cattle were killed when sheds caved in.

Rocks as big as four metres (13 feet) across crashed into mountain roads, crushing houses and cars, Xinhua said.
Disasters in China have in the past been the trigger for popular anger.

After the Sichuan quake, Wen was initially criticised for reading out a dry, official statement calling for courage in the face of disaster.

After the Sichuan quake, Wen was initially criticised for reading out a dry, official statement calling for courage in the face of disaster.

But within hours, he was on his way to the worst hit areas and once there showed how he can empathise with China’s least fortunate citizens in a series of intimate meetings.

Anger later turned to the corruption blamed for corner cutting in construction projects that was blamed for the collapse of shoddy buildings, especially schools, and for the death toll being as high as it was.

The Global Times said that after the latest quake, authorities should emphasise safety in future developments.

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“To take the time and invest money in the prevention of natural disasters, which are unpredictable and are unlikely to occur, does not seem like a persuasive proposal to many in China,” it concluded.

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