Experts warn of epidemic

Prevention and the preparation to fight any outbreak of a disease should be uppermost on the country's agenda in the quake-hit areas, academics said yesterday.

Rotting corpses and carcasses under the debris can cause an epidemic outbreak, Chen Huanchun, of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), said.

Such a thing is not uncommon after a natural disaster. "We must pay the greatest attention to it and be prepared to deal with any eventuality."