China ordered fresh waves of helicopters and aid to earthquake-devastated areas as the sheer magnitude of caring for tens of thousands of homeless survivors threatened to overwhelm relief efforts.
The Communist Party leadership told officials to "ensure social stability" as Monday's 7.9 magnitude quake in south-western Sichuan province spawned rumours of chemical spills, fears that dams could burst and scenes of collective grief.
The official death toll estimate from Monday's quake stood at 14,866. But as search teams sift, often bare-handed, through towns turned to rubble, that number is likely to balloon. And the strains from tens of thousands of homeless are growing.
But a new threat emerged as officials warned of uncertain risks from numerous dams that were damaged in the quake zone.
"Especially in Sichuan province, there are many dams, damage from the quake is extensive and the hazards are unclear," Minister for Water Resources Chen Lei said in the speech that was posted on the ministry Web site (www.mwr.gov.cn) on Thursday.
Chinese state media have said troops rushed to repair cracks in the Zipingpu Dam.
Investors, meanwhile, were upbeat, with many Sichuan-area shares outperforming the main index's rise of 0.54 percent due in part to expectations of demand from rescue and reconstruction efforts.
In Dujiangyan and other hard-hit cities and towns, many residents have had to sleep outside or in makeshift shelters, fearing more tremors and building collapses.
"In one minute the city we know flew away. I never dreamt it could happen," said He Lixia, a teacher in Dujiangyan.
Wang Yujie, a teacher whose school withstood the quake, said getting more water was now residents' most immediate need.
"There is enough food but not enough water, we have only had bottled mineral water the past few days, nothing to cook with," she said as she queued beside a water truck.
In some villages near the badly hit area of Beichuan, angry residents complained they had had little to eat and were forced to drink contaminated water to keep themselves alive.
Unhygienic waste was also a growing problem as temporary toilets failed to keep up with demand.
PICKING THROUGH RUBBLE
The ruling Chinese Communist Party's Standing Committee met late on Wednesday to assess the calamity that has thrown a shadow over preparations for the Beijing Olympics in August.
The government ordered fresh waves of troops to be dispatched, raising the total to some 130,000 committed to the effort, and 100 more helicopters to help send rescuers and supplies to areas blocked by buckled roads, state media said.
