100,000 MOBILIZED: An already massive military operation gathered pace with close to 100,000 soldiers and police mobilized to help earthquake victims in China. After two days of rain that prevented relief flights, People’s Liberation Army helicopters flew 90 sorties to the epicenter in Wenchuan county and other areas to drop food, medicine and tents and ferry out 156 injured people, Xinhua news agency reported.
OFFICIAL VISIT: Premier Wen Jiabao made a televised visit to a collapsed middle school in Sichuan’s Beichuan county, talking with the injured and their doctors in first-aid tents and urging on the rescue workers picking through the rubble. “Right now, we must race against time,” he said. “If there is the slightest hope of rescuing those who are trapped, we will magnify our efforts 100 times.”
TORCH PAUSES: The disaster cast a pall over the Olympic torch relay, which resumed Wednesday in eastern Fujian province away from the quake’s reach. The runners carrying the flame paused for a minute of silence and asked for donations for earthquake victims, Xinhua said.
