Drinking water urgently needed for quake survivors

Quake survivors in southwest China's Sichuan Province are in urgent need of drinking water as they wait to be evacuated more than 37 hours after the earthquake occurred.

A Xinhua reporter said she saw residents waiting anxiously for relief goods alongside the main road linking Taiping township, a serious affected area, and Lushan County seat.

Several children carried a board written with "Five hundred people lack drinking water," and held it up high whenever there were people coming towards them.

In the remote Wangjia village that is ten kilometers from Lushan county, river water became too muddy to drink after the earthquake.

Thirsty residents queued for mineral water dished out by Chen Guangbiao, a high-profile Chinese philanthropist, on Sunday morning. Many of them attempted to take an extra portion.

Sichuan Red Cross estimated that drinking water in Ya'an City will run out within three days despite rescue workers' efforts in delivering supplies to quake-hit area.

The quake survivors also need food and shelter.

"I had no food for a whole day," said a resident in the Wangjia Village, Longmen Township.

"Dozens of people in my family are packed in one tent," said Cheng Yuelin. His house was badly damaged in the quake and food and quilts were all buried under the ruins.

Li Maojun, secretary of Baosheng township committee of the Communist Party of China, said despite drops of supplies being made, the township still lack drinking water, food, medicine, and tents.

He has been asking Lushan county's emergency response command center for more supplies.

"All we want now is a shelter and a guarantee of basic necessities of life," said Yang Zhengwen, a 45-year-old resident of Baosheng.

More rain is forecast in the following three days in Lushan, which experts said will affect rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Civil Affairs is rushing to transport relief supplies.

It is estimated that 30,000 tents, 50,000 quilts, and 10,000 press beds will be transported to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province on Sunday night and be delivered to quake-hit areas as soon as possible, according to Li Baojun, deputy head of the ministry's disaster relief department. (Yi Ling and Li Laifang contributed to the story)