Search for trapped ends in SW China quake zone

Soldiers tear down a dilapidated house in Yingjiang county of Southwest China's Yunnan province, March 12, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

KUNMING - Rescuers have ended large-scale searches through quake rubbles for trapped people in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Saturday.

More than 8,000 rescuers are still rushing to check and repair buildings damaged in the magnitude-5.8 quake which jolted Yingjiang County Thursday noon, leaving 25 dead and another 314 injured, said a spokesman with the rescue headquarters.

The earthquake has toppled the homes of 1,039 families and left 4,994 others seriously damaged, mainly in the county seat near the border with Myanmar.

Many stores and restaurants have resumed business in the county seat.

Mobile phone services and power supply were also restored Saturday.

Local health departments have dispatched a team of 60 people to sterilize the quake-stricken area, especially the shelters, to prevent epidemic outbreaks, said Zhou Yun, deputy director of Yingjiang's public health bureau.

More than 700 medical staff are working in Yingjiang to treat the injured and help with health work, Zhou said.

So far, no secondary disasters, such as landslides and barrier lakes, have been reported, though land resources staff are still monitoring in case of any possibilities.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) Saturday allocated 50 million yuan ($7.6 million) to repair infrastructures, including roads and water supply system.

The MOF, together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, had already allocated 55 million yuan previously to relocate and settle local residents as well as provide them with living subsidies.