Post-quake reconstruction starts in SW China

YILIANG - Reconstruction in quake-hit regions in Southwest China's Yunnan province began on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The reconstruction is slated to last from October 2012 to September 2014, paid for with 5.6 billion yuan ($890.96 million) in funds raised by the provincial government, local authorities said.

Multiple earthquakes struck Yiliang county and its neighboring areas in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces on September 7, killing 81 people and injuring about 1,000 people. Direct economic losses are estimated to be about 4.3 billion yuan.

The provincial development and reform commission has drafted a reconstruction plan that will make the area more livable, preserve its environment and encourage economic growth, according to commission director Mi Dongsheng.

Residences will be the first buildings to be rebuilt, followed by education and health infrastructure, according to the plan.