China's President Hu Jintao expressed
gratitude to the countries which have sent help after a devastating earthquake
killed at least 22,000 people, according to the Xinhua news agency Saturday
night.
Hu sent "heartfelt thanks to the foreign governments and international
friends who have helped in the earthquake rescue work," the report said.
He had just come from meeting with rescue troops in the hard-hit region of
devastation in Sichuan province.
More than 200 international rescue workers from Japan, Russia, South Korea and Singapore are already at work in the region. On Saturday evening, Russian
workers pulled out a 61-year-old woman who had survived 127 hours covered in
rubble from the 7.8-strength temblor.
She was the first survivor to have been rescued by foreign helpers.
Large numbers of countries have offered material and humanitarian aid and
rescue teams since the quake struck the south-west region of the country on
Monday, dpa reported.