Rescuers were last night racing against time to find survivors a day after the strongest quake to hit China in 32 years jolted Sichuan province, demolishing buildings and burying tens of thousands beneath the rubble.

Hundreds of People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers entered Wenchuan county, the epicenter, yesterday and pulled more than 1,000 people from debris, according to the disaster relief headquarters of the Chengdu Military Command. It was not clear how many had survived. Earlier reports said 3,000 people of the town's total population of 12,000 were known to have survived.

The confirmed national death toll reached more than 12,000 by 2 am today, nearly all of them in Sichuan, according to the temporary disaster relief headquarters headed by Premier Wen Jiabao, who arrived in Dujiangyan to oversee the rescue work.

"We will try our best to send milk powder to parents and ensure children do not go hungry," he said yesterday after learning that some infants were running short of food and many people needed drinking water and tents.

Wen was visiting cities worst hit by the quake, including Dujiangyan, Deyang and Mianzhu.

He said the rescue work had entered a crucial stage and asked people to remain calm, confident and united.

He comforted a crying child in Mianzhu, saying: "Don't cry. Food will be sent in a short time. Biscuits and milk powder will be sent in a short time."

He told villagers: "I know some of your family and friends have died. We are deeply saddened. Some people are still trapped. We will do our utmost to rescue them."

Xia Guofu, Sichuan provincial military commander, led a team of more than 300 soldiers into Wenchuan and more troops were expected imminently, said Ye Wanyong, political commissar of the command.

Rescuers who arrived at Yingxiu Town of Wenchuan on foot yesterday afternoon said the town was inaccessible by road.

The soldiers reported more than 70 percent of the roads in the town were damaged, and almost all bridges had collapsed. Many people were believed to be under the debris.

Previous attempts by rescuers to reach the epicenter "by land, air and water" failed because of landslides, telecommunication breakdown and rain, an official with the Sichuan provincial relief headquarters said.

50,000 soldiers mobilized

As of last night, nearly 20,000 soldiers and armed policemen had arrived in Sichuan province, with 30,000 more troops advancing toward the quake-hit regions by planes, trains and trucks, and on foot, the Ministry of Defense said.

A large number of search and rescue workers are urgently needed in quake-hit areas, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs said yesterday.

Wang Zhenyao, director of the disaster relief department of the ministry, told a press conference yesterday that people trapped in collapsed buildings could survive for up to a week.

Wang, while expressing appreciation for all domestic and foreign donations, said conditions were "not yet ripe" to allow foreign rescue teams into the country.

"At this point, transportation in affected areas is still blocked and it is impossible even for our own rescue teams to reach the disaster-hit areas," he said.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman yesterday also welcomed the international community's aid to China's relief efforts.

Qin Gang told a news briefing that no casualties of foreigners in quake-affected area had been reported.

Train on fire

A 40-car freight train carrying mostly gasoline derailed and caught fire in neighboring Gansu during the quake and was still burning yesterday evening, a railway official said. One injury was reported.

The train, including 13 tank cars filled with gasoline, derailed and burst into flames on Monday in Gansu province when the quake cut a major rail line, Wang Yongping, spokesman for the Ministry of Railways said.

The earthquake left trains and passengers stranded on major rail lines leading to Chengdu, Xinhua said. At least 149 cargo trains and 31 passenger trains were affected and passengers were being moved to safety yesterday.

Water warning

Water resources authorities issued an emergency warning after water projects suffered severe damage in the quake.

According to E Jingping, vice-minister of water resources, the quake has resulted in the damage of "a considerable number of water projects".

"Given that water reservoirs are prone to risks, dam collapses might lead to mass casualties if inspections and rescue work are not conducted in a timely manner," E told Xinhua.

Torch relay

Organizers of the Beijing Olympic Games said yesterday that a minute's silence will be observed during future stops of the torch relay to mourn the victims of the quake.

The relay is scheduled to head to Jiangxi province today as it continues its three-month journey through the country.

China Daily, Xinhua and agencies

(China Daily 05/14/2008 page1)