200 make-shift toilets sent to quake hit region

LUSHAN, Sichuan, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) on Monday afternoon dispatched 200 make-shift toilets to the area in southwest China's Sichuan Province devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Saturday.

Earlier Monday, reports said make-shift toilets were urgently needed following the quake.

Existing toilets cannot flush, as running water has not been restored, triggering public health risks. It is also unsafe to use indoor toilets, as houses have sustained damage from multiple aftershocks, Xinhua has learned.

The MCA said as of 9 a.m. Monday, relief materials sent by the ministry, including 25,000 tents, 137,000 cotton blankets, 10,000 items of clothing, as well as food and drinking water, had reached quake-hit areas.

An earthquake hit Lushan at 8:02 a.m. Saturday Beijing Time, leaving at least 188 people dead and 11,950 injured, according to the latest figures from the MCA.
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