Twenty seven students were rescued from the rubble of their collapsed school by teachers using their bare hands.
As of 6 am Thursday, 18 trains had been deployed nationwide to carry relief materials to the quake-hit Qinghai province, China's Ministry of Railways said.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it dispatched another 13 aircraft Thursday to send rescuers, medical staff and relief materials to Xining, capital of quake-hit Qinghai Province.
Rescuers fought altitude sickness, chilly weather, strong winds and frequent aftershocks Thursday to dig through rubble and reach survivors of a strong earthquake that has left 617 dead, 9,110 injured and 313 missing in northwest China.
Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu Thursday urged rescuers to make all-out efforts to save lives and transfer those injured during Wednesday's 7.1-magnitude quake to safer areas.
The Communist Party of China has ordered its members in the quake hit Yushu county of Qinghai Province to contribute to quake-relief efforts in places hit hardest by a 7.1-Magnitude earthquake.
Endless messages of condolence and support are pouring in from the international community after a strong quake hit China's northwestern province of Qinghai.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully offered condolences on Thursday and said New Zealand is ready to support China humanitarian response to Wednesday's devastating earthquake in China's Qinghai Province.
An earthquake rescue medical team organized by the Ministry of Health left Beijing for quake-hit Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in China's Qinghai Province at eleven o'clock Thursday morning.
Houston Rockets star Yao Ming has set up a hotline to help North American Chinese residents reach family and friends in China following a series of earthquakes there.
Yushu Batang Airport, 30 km away from the epicenter of the quake in Jiegu town, reopened at noon on Wednesday, providing a fast route for rescue workers and supplies to arrive in the region, a civil aviation spokeswoman said.
Rescue workers in Yushu county, hit hard by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning, are facing an even more challenging task, as its high altitude above 4,000 meters will make the rescue effort more grueling.