Water warning for survivors

The country's environmental watchdog has advised quake survivors to source drinking water away from the rubble of buildings to avoid contamination, and asked authorities in quake zones to ensure that.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection issued a circular on Tuesday that said: "Corpses, medical wastes and the repeated use of disinfectants and plague prevention drugs pose a great threat to drinking water."

Underground water near the debris of collapsed buildings should not be used for drinking, the circular said. Health and disease prevention authorities should tell the survivors to avoid water from shallow wells and rivers in the quake zones.