Official urges greater quake reconstruction efforts

CHENGDU - State Councilor Wang Yong has demanded greater efforts to resettle people who were affected by an earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province in April.

Local authorities should work to prevent secondary disasters and provide basic services to those affected, Wang said while touring Lushan County, the site of the quake, on June 2 and 3.

A 7.0-magnitude quake hit the county on April 20 and left at least 196 people dead.

Wang called for prioritizing safety for local residents and improving monitoring of local geological conditions, adding that landslides are more likely to occur during the upcoming flood season.

He also called for coordinating ecological and economic restoration in the affected area.