LHASA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 5,152 makeshift houses have been set up since a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region last week, to shield the affected residents from the bitter cold, according to a press briefing held on Thursday.
Currently, 13,000 makeshift board houses have been secured, with 6,135 delivered to the quake-hit zone and 5,152 units already assembled. Additional housing units are en route to the quake zone.
Keeping the quake-affected individuals warm during the current resettlement stage is the top priority for the emergency management department of the autonomous region, said Wei Jun, deputy head of the department, at the press briefing.
On Jan. 7, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Dingri, home to the northern base camp of the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, claiming 126 lives.
With a population of over 60,000, Dingri is one of the most populous border counties in Xizang. There are 27 villages and about 6,900 people within a 20-km radius of the epicenter.
The quake zone, situated at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters above sea level, is experiencing its coldest time of year.
Materials to combat the cold, including electric stoves, electric-heating blankets, cotton-padded apparels, have been delivered to the quake-affected individuals in time, according to Wei.
Meanwhile, water conservancy authorities have inspected 14 reservoirs (hydropower stations) in the quake-stricken area, and identified localized cracks along with other risk signs at five of them. Three reservoirs have been drained of water, according to the press briefing.
In the endangered La'ang Reservoir in Changsuo Township of Dingri, authorities are increasing the discharge flow to mitigate the risk of dam failure, according to Wei.
To safeguard the lives and property of affected residents, approximately 1,500 people from six villages downstream of the reservoir have been safely relocated to nine emergency shelters located at higher elevations, away from riverbanks.
In another development, rescue teams in the disaster area have recovered cash totaling about 6.96 million yuan (about 968,000 U.S. dollars).
Preliminary statistics indicated that as of Wednesday afternoon, donations from all sectors of society had totaled around 1.64 billion yuan, including 1.53 billion yuan in funds and 106 million yuan in goods.
According to the regional department of civil affairs, these contributions are primarily used for the relocation and resettlement of affected communities and for ensuring basic living necessities.
The department has allocated over 6.63 million yuan in central government funding to Dingri County. ■
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