"We have the faith, courage and ability to overcome the severe natural disaster," Premier Wen Jiabao told the country on Saturday on board a train in disaster-hit central Hunan Province.

"I am now on a train bound for Chenzhou City with the accompany of heads of relevant departments of the State Council. We are helping with the relief work," Wen said in his address on China National Radio.

He delivered Spring Festival wishes to all people in the country.

"The general public, especially those who sacrifice their lives in the disaster relief, are those who moved me most," Wen was quoted as saying in TV footage from Hunan Economic TV Station. "In face of the disaster, they show us composure, bravery and the spirit of sacrifice."

"I often hear people express out of their own will thankfulness to the government. But those we really should thank are the masses," he said.

It was Wen's second visit to disaster-hit Hunan.

He flew out of Beijing on Monday night to Hunan but had to land at Tianhe Airport in neighboring Hubei Province because of the bad weather. He completed his journey by train and arrived in Changsha City, the provincial capital, on Tuesday morning.

He flew to Hunan for the second time on Friday afternoon shortly after chairing a meeting that morning in Beijing.

For days on end, China's senior leaders have been leaving the capital to go to disaster-affected regions to boost public morale amid the worst snow in decades.

President Hu Jintao made an inspection tour on Thursday to coal fields in Datong, Shanxi Province, and Qinhuangdao Port in Hebei Province, through which much of Shanxi's coal is shipped.

Hu entered a mine more than 400 meters underground, taking an elevator down to meet miners of the Datangtashan coal mine in Datong who had worked overtime in temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius to increase supply.

Other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the the Communist Party of China Central Committee also ventured into the field to join the relief efforts.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2008)