Chinese vice premier calls for enhancing public awareness of disaster reduction

Source: Xinhua | 05-13-2009 08:19

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- On China's first "Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day" on Tuesday, Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu called for enhancing public awareness of disaster reduction.

Tuesday also marked the first anniversary of the massive Wenchuan earthquake that rocked southwestern Sichuan Province on May 12 last year and claimed more than 69,000 lives, leaving nearly 18,000 missing.

Hui, also director of the National Commission for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), told a forum on disaster prevention and reduction that "efforts should be made to strengthen the foundation of disaster reduction and step up disaster monitoring, relief and reconstruction so as to create sound conditions for social stability."

Approved by the State Council, or Cabinet, the NCDR, Ministry of Civil Affairs, China Earthquake Administration and Beijing Municipal Government jointly staged an emergency drill Tuesday in Beijing's Haidian District, participated in by students and some members of the public, in a simulated earthquake situation. They practiced evacuation, aid in the air and medical aid.