Chinese army rescuers, field hospital start operation in quake-devastated Nepal

A joint task force of rescuers and medical staff from the Chinese army has started joining the rescue and medical treatment operation here, in coordination with the Nepalese army.

The team, consisting of 102 officers and soldiers in charge of rescuing and 70 military medical staff members from the Chengdu Military Region, arrived since Monday evening, bringing along with them advanced equipment, searching dogs, a field hospital and many electricity generators.

The task force set up a camp near the Nepalese Prime Minister's office building along side a Nepalese army camp. They started working as soon as they arrived. So far they have treated over 50 injured people and found one victim's body in a collapsed house.

Colonel Nie Xuezheng, chief of the rescue team, told Xinhua that he still believes there are chances to find survivors and the rescuers won't waste a single minute to find them.

He also found the rescue operation in the Nepalese capital quite difficult because of the structure of the buildings and narrow lanes and insufficient space where many collapsed houses are located.

Colonel Li Xuecheng, head of the field hospital, said the medical staff is setting up a trauma treatment center with 50 beds, two operation room, at the requirement of the Nepalese army.

Because the local hospitals are overflowing with the injured, the Nepalese army is sending of the patients to the field hospital for treatment.

An Hong, head of the 6-member nurse team in the hospital, said she is proud to join the operation to help Nepalese quake victims. Endi