China's Hu flies in to quake site, toll tops 1,700

China's Hu flies in to quake site, toll tops 1,700
Royston Chan and Chris Buckley
YUSHU, China
Sun Apr 18, 2010 6:10am EDT
       (Reuters) - President Hu Jintao flew to China's remote and ruined Yushu county to speed relief distribution on Sunday, as Tibetan monks prayed over victims of an earthquake which occurred on Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:28pm EDTBEIJING, April 14  in the ethnic Tibetan town of Yushu, Qinghai province, on the mountainous Tibetan plateau that killed at least 1,706 people
      "Saving life remains the first priority. We treasure every life and at the same time we should ensure victims regain a normal life," Hu told Phoenix TV before visiting a classroom at a local orphanage.
The official Xinhua news agency reported earlier on Sunday a 68-year-old man had been rescued alive after 100 hours under the rubble but later withdrew the report. It gave no further details.
Hundreds of military trucks, joined by convoys organized by private aid groups, rolled across the 1,000 km (620 miles) from the provincial capital to Gyegu, the Yushu county seat where survivors are increasingly desperate for food and shelter.
They queued for food and fuel, clutching bowls or jerry cans.

        Hu visited the damaged Zhaxi Datong village outside Gyegu, Xinhua said. He cut short a South American trip to fly there.
In Tuanjie village, outside Gyegu(甘肃）, relief workers distributed(分发)blankets at the local monastery [ˈmɔnəstəri](修道院)but said the high altitude(高空) is limiting their ability to fly in food.
"We have never had such a big earthquake before so this is completely unexpected for us and we were not prepared," said He Zhanlu, team leader foraid [eid](援助) distribution [ˌdistriˈbju:ʃən](分发) in the village. "To add to this, aid from all over the country is coming to us now, so traffic conditions on the road is a logistical problem."
Some non-government9非政府组织)organizations have set up distribution centres outside Gyegu to stop looting(掠夺) and fights over food.
"The security situation is calm [kɑ:m](平静). So far there are no big criminal incidents," Ministry of Public Security spokesman Wu Heping said, warning against fraudulent [ˈfrɔ:dʒələnt](欺骗的) earthquake charities.(慈善机构）