Chinese premier: days since May 12 quake "shocking and touching"

Source: Xinhua | 09-03-2008 08:38

CHENGDU, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called the past 110 days since the May 12 quake "shocking and touching" when speaking to journalists in southwest China's quake-hit Sichuan Province on Tuesday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addresses a press  conference in Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan, southwest  China's Sichuan Province, on the morning of Sept.  2, 2008. Wen Jiabao condoled quake sufferers and  held a press conference here during his visit  on Tuesday.(Xinhua Photo)

"The past 110 days were days that shocked our minds, and also days that touched our hearts," said Wen. "It's not a long time, but what we did, as witnessed by people all over the world, will go down in history."

"Saving people was given absolute priority. We made the utmost efforts to save people's lives even if there was a slightest hope, and we never gave up," Wen recalled at an improvisatori press conference in Yingxiu Town, the epicenter of the May 12 quake.

About 84,000 people were rescued out of debris after the quake, according to Wen.

The 8.0-magnitude earthquake killed more than 69,000 people in Sichuan and neighboring provinces and left nearly 18,000 missing.

According to the quake relief headquarters under the State Council, now people in the quake zone had no problem in eating, drinking among other life necessities. No major epidemics were reported and industry and agriculture basically resumed.