(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-26 21:15

BEIJING  -- China sent the first group of "model workers," mostly skilled workers and technicians, to Sichuan Province quake zone on Thursday to aid the reconstruction.

"We will not only offer workmanship for the post-quake reconstruction, but show our affection, on behalf of the nation's model workers and the whole working population as well, to quake-shocked people there," said Li Bin, the group head.

The Shanghai Electric Hydraulic and Pneumatics Co. Ltd senior technician was among the 10 members who arrived from around the country including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang.

They are providing technical consultation and training, testing and evaluating damages of equipment and helping repair them, according to the All China Federation of Trade Unions, the group's organizer.

The unions were preparing another four groups of model workers to help with the reconstruction and each, including the first one, would work in the quake zone for seven to 10 days, said an union official.

Model workers are exemplary figures picked out by the State Council, China's Cabinet, from the country's huge working population of about 750 million to inspire public morale for the country's construction.

As of Thursday noon, the death toll from the magnitude-8.0 earthquake on May 12 still stood at Wednesday's figure of 69,185, according to the State Council Information Office.