Chinese Premier urges to ensure quake-hit residents a warm winter

Li calls for improved system to cope with disasters

LANZHOU, Aug. 18 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged help for residents in quake-hit areas to deal with the upcoming winter while he visited northwest China's Gansu Province.

Li took nine hours to arrive in Meichuan Township, Minxian County on Saturday. Minxian is one of the places struck by the 6.6-magnitude quake on July 22 which killed at least 95 people.

Li said at a meeting in Minxian County that the first priority was to guarantee that residents could keep warm during the the winter, expected to fall very soon in the high, mountainous area.

The government will allocate another 10,000 cotton tents to needy households by the end of August. All the cooker units and subsidies must be in the hands of residents before the end of September, he said.

Li emphasized that schools must resume classes on time so that students' education will not be delayed.

He urged government departments to support house reconstruction and repair work, step up assistance to relieve poverty, and improve roads and water conservancy facilities to enhance the self-development abilities of the quake zone.

After going along paths between cliffs and mountains vulnerable to landslides, Li reached Yongguang Village, about 2,700 meters above sea level. Nearly all the houses there collapsed during the quake.

"One man's strength is limited, but when thousands of hands join together, we are definitely able to overcome difficulties," Li told villagers. "The government will help solve your problems by every means."

Li visited volunteers, medical teams devoted to epidemic prevention, as well as staff at bank outlets, urging them to provide better service to the residents. He also encourage the injured to recover while visiting the hospital.

Scientific mechanisms should be adopted in quake-relief and reconstruction work as China is a big country which suffers frequent natural disasters, Li said.

People must be put first during the quake-relief, relocation and reconstruction. The central government should provide assistance to local governments in residents relocation and post-quake construction, he said.

The government should also promote information in dealing with disasters to the public, he said.