Nation moves to ensure market supplies in quake zone

BEIJING - Chinese authorities and companies have moved to ensure basic supplies to areas hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

The quake hit Lushan County of Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 a.m. Saturday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The death toll has so far climbed to 181.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) launched an emergency response to ensure the supply of daily necessities soon after the earthquake.

The ministry requires local authorities to keep up with the market supply situation in quake-hit regions of Ya'an City, according to a statement.

Local authorities should monitor the supplies and prices of necessities and make a daily report to the MOC, the statement said.

Provinces near Sichuan should mobilize major enterprises to provide necessary assistance in ensuring market supplies and disaster relief, the MOC said.

The ministry will also help business operations in quake-hit areas and in a timely manner release information concerning the supplies of daily necessities and disaster-relief materials.

The National Energy Administration (NEA) ordered local authorities to step up in repairing damaged power facilities to restore supply and look for potential hazards to oil and gas pipelines, coal mines and nuclear power facilities.

The State Grid Corp. has dispatched a team of 500 people to repair electricity facilities damaged by the quake.

As of 8 a.m. on Sunday, power supply in Lushan County and nearby Tianquan County had been basically restored, the NEA said in a statement.

The provincial communications administration organized teams from the country's three telecom giants - China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom - to fix paralyzed telecom facilities.

Public communication had been restored in nine townships by Sunday morning, while seven townships were still out of telecom services mainly hindered by damaged roads in those regions.