More than 10,000 quake survivors have been evacuated from the badly-hit counties of Beichuan and Anxian to the city of Mianyang in southwestern Sichuan Province.

The victims, mainly students, have resettled at the Jiuzhou Indoor Stadium in downtown Mianyang and the municipal government has set up a temporary relief center to take care of them.

Mianyang had reported 7,395 deaths in Monday's quake as of Tuesday afternoon.

Most of the victims lost their houses in the quake and their hometown, frequently hit by aftershocks, were too dangerous to stay, said the deputy director of the center who only gave his surname as Jing.

"Most of them were sent here by bus and few walked overnight to arrive here," said Jin, adding some injured have been hospitalized.

Xinhua reporters saw many victims, looking tired, were sitting on the floor, talking and having food and water. Government officials and volunteers were distributing clothes, medicines and food around.

"We were in depression and felt helpless before the rescuers came and now, we are secure again," said Pu Qiang, a resident of Beichuan County seat, wearing a dusty shirt and looking tired.

Pu's hometown, one of the worst-hit counties in the quake, is about 160 km northeast of the epicenter and up to 5,000 people are feared dead. Pu's house was leveled in quake, but luckily most of his family survived.

"The quake took away all my properties and some family members, but it didn't take away my confidence to live on," said the 32-year-old man.

The relief center set up several teams in charge of medical service, food distribution, clothes donation and consoling.

"Many citizens have made donations to our center and some others even volunteered to work here all the night," said Jing.

Zhang Xiaoying, a volunteer in the stadium, told Xinhua that some victims, who had hardly recover from the nightmare experience in quake, were still mentally fragile.

"Some survivors would rather stand outside in rain last night than stay in the stadium. They are still in fears," said Zhang.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)