Heavy rain likely to hamper China quake rescue

CHENGDU, China-Heavy rain over southwest China on Wednesday is likely to interrupt relief efforts and raise the risk of reservoir breaches in earthquake-stricken areas, where tents have become the most-wanted item.Thousands of aftershocks and a forecast of rain in the mountainous region compounded the difficulties for military, government and private workers trying to deliver food and water and to ensure millions of homeless get shelter.Tents and awnings are in demand for more than 110,000 military and civilian rescuers. Officials said China needed up to 3 million tents to house an estimated 5 million people left homeless by May 12's 7.9-magnitude quake."We're really short of tents. So we hope that other provinces that want to help us and other countries can donate them," vice provincial governor Li Chengyun told reporters on Tuesday.The disaster-hit areas, mainly in Sichuan, had received 280,000 tents and factories were working around the clock to deliver another 700,000, Jiang said.Many residents of Chengdu, the provincial capital hit by a persistent drizzle on Wednesday, spent the night in tents, fearful of building collapses.Nearly the whole population of Shifang, a small city near Chengdu, slept outside on Tuesday night despite the rain. In the countryside, many farmers now live in encampments of makeshift shelters with their homes too damaged or too unsafe to live in. "Everyone's living outside now, even with the rain," said farmer Wu Xingyao under the cover of plastic and tarpaulin.

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As in the days of Noah....