China rescuers search for crashed quake chopper
By Lindsay Beck
CHENGDU, China, June 2 (Reuters) - Chinese rescue workers continued to search for their own in the mountains of Sichuan province on Monday, after a military helicopter ferrying earthquake survivors crashed in heavy fog over the weekend.
The military transport helicopter with 19 people on board, including residents injured in the quake, crashed on Saturday near Yingxiu, close to the quake's epicentre, Xinhua news agency said.
The five-member crew of the helicopter was on their 64th mission since a devastating earthquake hit Sichuan nearly three weeks ago, Xinhua said.
China has mobilised its military to unblock roads, clear rubble and deliver food, water and tents to the estimated 5 million people displaced by the May 12 earthquake. Rescuers are racing to clear lakes and set up housing before the summer rainy season begins.
As of June 1, officials said the earthquake had killed more than 69,000 people, with nearly 19,000 missing and around 368,500 injured, according to Xinhua.
The earthquake has gripped China, unleashing a flood of donations and volunteers to help in relief work.
Organizers of an annual march in Hong Kong to commemorate victims of the June 4, 1989, massacre of Tiananmen Square demonstrators in Beijing said donations were collected and would be given to quake relief efforts. The estimated 500 marchers kept silent as a sign of mourning.
Troops withdrew from a dangerous "quake lake" formed by a massive landslide at Tangjiashan, after clearing a channel for water to flow out from behind the blockage. The water had risen to within 7 meters of the lowest point of the unstable natural dam by this weekend, threatening to flood downstream communities.
Trucks trundled across Sichuan with materials for pre-fabricated housing, designed to replace stifling hot and leaky tents.
In the ruined town of Yingxiu, near the epicentre, blasting began to clear rubble and unsafe buildings. Workers vigorously sprayed disinfectant to guard against epidemics as overcast and muggy summer weather settled in.
Chinese president Hu Jintao travelled to the southeast corner of Gansu Province, where towns along the fault line were also heavily damaged. He visited a Pakistani medical team, one of several foreign teams doing relief work in China.
Two miners, stranded since the earthquake, were rescued, state media said. (Additional reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Writing by Lucy Hornby; Editing by Ken Wills and Alex Richardson)
