China says quake rebuild to take 3 years

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Eleven days after the 7.9 magnitude quake shook the mountainous province of Sichuan, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, relief workers and ordinary residents are now focused on reconstruction.

Some towns in the earthquake zone in southwestern China will need to be relocated altogether because the terrain is not safe, officials have said.

The known death toll from the quake already exceeds 55,000, but more bodies are expected to be found as the debris from the dozens of flattened cities, towns and villages is cleared.

With the rainy season due within weeks, there is an urgency to their work. The government's main concern is that aftershocks and heavy rain could cause secondary disasters such as flashfloods and landslides.

"The rebuilding work faces a lot of difficulty in the region, where the mountains have been shaken loose in the earthquake and there have been more than 7,000 aftershocks," Li Chengyun, vice governor of Sichuan, told a news conference in Beijing.

Relief workers are also concerned that poor hygiene could cause disease outbreaks. Li said this was a "peak period for outbreaks of diseases", describing the situation as very grim.

China has pleaded with the international community to provide millions of tents for the homeless. It is also sending tonnes of heavier building equipment and supplies into the area.

"We will strive to provide safe, economical and convenient temporary housing for 98 percent of the residents within the next month," Li said.

"The priority work in the reconstruction is to find proper locations for rural residents to build houses. We will strive to make such village houses ready for them before winter comes."

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