Relocating earthquake victims new priority

The focus of disaster-relief work after the recent 6.8-magnitude earthquake at Dingri county of Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, has been shifted to relocating affected residents and conducting after-disaster reconstruction, said Hong Li, director of the Xizang Emergency Management Department, at a news conference held in Shigatse on Wednesday afternoon.

He said intensified work would also be conducted in treating the injured, recovering damaged facilities, monitoring aftershocks and preventing secondary disasters.

A total of 407 trapped individuals have been rescued. Around 46,500 people affected by the earthquake have been transferred to 187 resettlement sites. The 484 tourists at the county have all gone to the city as of Wednesday noon with no injuries, he said.

This earthquake was the biggest in the area over the recent five years. Besides, as the county is located in a high-altitude and severely cold mountainous region, it's hard to prevent coldness, he added.

Residents living at the relocation sites are provided with necessities such as cotton tents, folding beds, electric blankets and heaters, as well as food and medicine.

The rescue efforts in the disaster-hit areas have reached full capacity, advising that unauthorized private rescue groups not enter the affected zones.

Liu Boqian contributed to this story.