Some 500 middle school students from quake-hit Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture arrived in southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday to resume their studies, local authorities said Monday.

The students from the prefecture's Minzu High School arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan provincial capital, by train at 10:33 AM.

They will attend Bayijuyuan High School at Dujiangyan City, said Gao Haibin, deputy chief of Qinghai Provincial Education Department.

"Although I am exhausted after the 20-hour train ride, I am very happy that I can go to school again," said student Kunga Lhamo.

The students' former school was damaged in the 7.1-magnitude Yushu earthquake that struck April 14 and killed 2,698 people.

All of the Minzu High School students will attend school in Sichuan, Gao said.

Some 5,074 students from quake-hit Yushu will attend schools outside of Qinghai, in provinces including Sichuan, Shandong, Shanxi and Liaoning, in accordance with a decision made by the State Council's Earthquake Relief Headquarters.

The students are each entitled to a 600 yuan (US$88.3) monthly allowances from the provincial Civil Affairs Department, Gao said.

Over 3,500 other students will be relocated to attend school within Qinghai Province, Gao said.

Bayijuyuan High School was rebuilt after the Wenchuan earthquake killed 278 students at the school on May 12, 2008. The rebuilt school covers an area of 116 mu (7.73 hectares) and cost 133 million yuan to rebuild.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2010)