No soldiers have died so far in rescue operations in earthquake-hit areas, a military officer said Thursday, quashing rumors that some soldiers have lost their lives in the relief operations.
"However, more than 10 soldiers were severely injured and some others were slightly injured," said Lu Dengming, deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Area Command. He made the statement Thursday at a press conference, the first held by the army for quake relief, in Chengdu, the capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the Beijing News reported Friday.
As of 6 pm on May 28, a total of 133,000 army soldiers and armed police had been sent to the areas affected by the earthquake. "The Central Military Commission has also dispatched eight mental health counseling teams to help the solders overcome mental trauma," Lu said.
At present, the army mainly focuses on assisting quake victims with resettlement and reconstruction. "A 1,000-strong engineering team from the army will arrive in the quake-jolted areas with heavy machinery," the officer said.
