Central government sends working group after Sichuan quake

The Chinese central government dispatched a working group to Sichuan province on Monday to guide post-earthquake response efforts after a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Yibin city at 12:12 am, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Following the earthquake, the office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level IV national emergency response for earthquake disasters and sent the working group to the affected area, the ministry said in a statement.

Minister of Emergency Management Zhang Chengzhong urged local authorities to verify the earthquake situation and assess the extent of the damage as soon as possible, while making all-out efforts in disaster assessment, emergency rescue and relief work, the statement said.