Rescuers save over 60,000 from debris

Song Xinyi, a 3-year-old earthquake survivor, is saved in earthquake-hit Beichuan County, southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, May 14, 2008. Song was saved after being buried in the ruins for more than 40 hours. (Xinhua Photo)

More than 60,000 injured people had been rescued in quake-hit areas in southwestern Sichuan Province as of Thursday morning, the Sichuan quake control and relief headquarters said.

A headquarters spokesman said saving peoples lives was the paramount task in disaster relief efforts, and all the 60,000 injured people had received timely treatment.

Premier Wen Jiabao said at a Wednesday evening meeting that "We must use all our forces, and save lives at whatever costs. Life is the most precious thing. We must be amenable to the people and the history."

Rescuers from Chongqing Municipality save a survivor in debris of collapsed buildings in Beichuan, one of the counties that suffered the most from Mondays earthquake in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, May 14, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Rescuers from Guizhou Province search for survivors in quake-stricken Deyang city, southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, May 14, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Armed police carry 17-year-old student Yan Peng after he was rescued out of the ruins of a two-story building in the quake-stricken Beichuan County in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, May 14, 2008. A strong quake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Sichuan at 2:28 p.m. on Monday. At that moment, Yan was swung out of classroom by strong shake, but he came back to the classroom, trying to save his trapped classmates. Unfortunately, Yan was buried in the ruins for over 40 hours. Thanks to hard searching and rescuing for several hours by armed police, he was finally saved. (Xinhua Photo)

A survivor found in Beichuan county, Sichuan Province. (Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)