CRI听力:Rescuers Racing to Deliver Relief Supplies to Quake Victims

Trucks loaded with tents, generators, water and food are pouring into quake-hit areas as traffic conditions have improved.

The relief supplies dropped by helicopters or transported by rescuers and volunteers are ready to be handed out.

The disaster has left 615 people dead, and 114 are still missing.

It also toppled 25,800 households.

Bodies of quake victims are now being buried or cremated upon the approval of their family.

Some 230-thousand people have been relocated to 125 temporary shelters.

Medical staff are now disinfecting the shelters and monitoring the quality of drinking water.

So far, no disease outbreak has been reported in the quake zone.

Li Kungang, a doctor with the Orthopedics Hospital of Yunnan, says they are also taking care of the survivors' mental health.

"At present, the children in the quake-hit area have high level of psychological pressure and a sense of fear because they have been trapped for long time. Our psychological consultants are helping disaster victims to exclude the mental stress and dispell their fears."

The central government has allocated 2.2 billion yuan, or some 358 million U.S. dollars, to fund disaster relief.

Relief workers are rushing against time to drain water from a lake formed by landslides.

The 15 kilometer long lake near the epicenter in Longtoushan has already flooded around 370 homes.

Now the water level has risen to over 1,200 meters, only 36 meters below the alert line.

The army has used dynamite to blow up the blockage and are planning to dig a spillway to discharge the water.

Li Kungang is an expert with the Ministry of Water Resource.

"We should adopt engineering emergency plans and relocate people at the same time. Finally we decided to dig a spillway as the engineering plan. We will open a diversion channel 8 metres deep, 5 meters wide."

The spillway is expected to be accomplished in 5 days.

Around 4,200 residents have been evacuated from the area.

With the majority of roads in the quake zone now cleared of obstacles, large machines are now moving in to aid the relief work.

For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.