President Hu Jintao flew to China's remote and ruined Yushu county to speed relief distribution on Sunday, following an earthquake in the northwest that killed at least 1,706 people. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Saturday asked Beijing if he could also visit the site to comfort victims, according to a report of Reuters. Chinese rescuers pulled a 68-year-old man from the rubble early on Sunday. He had been trapped for 100 hours, the official Xinhua news agency reported. "Saving life remains the first priority. We treasure every life and at the same time we should ensure victims regain a normal life," Hu told Phoenix TV before visiting a classroom at a local orphanage. Hundreds of military trucks, joined by convoys organised by private aid groups, rolled across the 1,000 km (620 miles) from the provincial capital to Gyegu, the Yushu county seat where survivors are increasingly desperate for food and shelter. They queued for food and fuel, clutching bowls or jerry cans. Hu visited the damaged Zhaxi Datong village outside Gyegu, Xinhua said. He cut short a South American trip to fly there.
