More than 4,000 military personnel Sunday were searching for survivors of a military transport helicopter that crashed with four relief workers and 14 injured quake survivors near Yingxiu township in Sichuan province on Saturday.
The Mi-171 helicopter was returning after carrying a team of epidemic prevention experts to Lixian county and picking up the injured when it encountered strong turbulence and fog, and crashed at 2:56 pm, military sources said.
President Hu Jintao, who is overseeing quake relief operations in neighboring Shaanxi province, ordered local authorities to conduct a thorough search for the survivors.
On Saturday, a day before International Children's Day, Hu visited a temporary school in quake-hit Hanzhong, Shaanxi province, and spent time with the children there.
He told vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission Guo Boxiong to fly to the frontline to direct the operation.
Guo has already reached Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and held a meeting Sunday morning, instructing rescue workers how to conduct the operation.
But the rescue teams have not been able to identify the exact spot of the crash. That's why it's difficult to say if there are any survivors.
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