Altitude challenging to rescue work

Beijing - Rescue workers in Yushu county, hit hard by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning, are facing an even more challenging task, as its high altitude above 4,000 meters will make the rescue effort more grueling.

He Xiong, director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, who took part in the relief effort in Sichuan following the 8 magnitude Wenchuan earthquake in May 2008, said relief and rescue in earthquake-hit areas of high altitude are "a more physically and technically demanding task for relief workers, due to a shortage of oxygen on the plateau".

According to official statistics, the oxygen content in Yushu is nearly half to one-third lower than that at sea level.