Yesterday more than 600 soldiers reached Yingxiu township of Wenchuan - the epicenter of Monday's 7.8 magnitude quake - where not a single building was intact, Xinhua reported.
PLA officer Zhi Liusuo said the first group of 200 soldiers reached Yingxiu by powerboat early yesterday morning; and another 400 arrived last night.
Rescue work was difficult because of a lack of equipment; and soldiers were digging with their hands.
Only 2,300 of Yingxiu's 10,000 population were confirmed to be alive, and 1,000 of them suffering from serious injuries, according to a local official.
"There is an urgent need for medical staff, medicine, food and drinking water," he said.
The Chengdu military command said two helicopters airdropped food, drinking water and medicine to Yingxiu in the afternoon.
The official death toll from the quake rose to nearly 15,000 - nearly all in Sichuan - and tens of thousands more were buried or missing.
Meanwhile, more than 800 soldiers reached the county seat of Wenchuan and began search-and-rescue operations.
Previous attempts to reach Wenchuan were hampered because roads were blocked by rocks and landslides, as well as bad weather and a telecommunication breakdown.
A temporary dock has been set up at Zipingpu reservoir in Dujiangyan, about 100 km from Yingxiu, which is on the bank of a river. It takes 50 minutes from the dock by boat to the township; and about a dozen boats are in operation, each carrying 12 people.
Rescuers have to cover the distance from Yingxiu to the county on foot.
Premier Wen Jiabao, who arrived in Dujiangyan city hours after the quake to oversee rescue work, went to Yingxiu by helicopter yesterday afternoon to inspect the situation, before flying back to Chengdu, the provincial capital.
In the morning, Wen was in Beichuan, one of the worst-hit regions.
The PLA yesterday ordered the deployment of another 30,000 personnel to join rescue efforts.
They would join 47,813 soldiers, armed police and paramilitary personnel already working in Sichuan, military sources said.
Twenty-two military aircraft, 35 civilian aircraft and 18 helicopters had been dispatched as of yesterday, and more than 12 tons of relief goods were air-dropped to quake-hit areas.
A high-level meeting of the Communist Party of China Central Committee yesterday urged more army, armed police and paramilitary forces, as well as medical personnel to be rushed to the quake-hit areas.
At a meeting of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee, presided over by Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said saving lives should be the top priority.
The meeting called on various government departments to take measures to provide accommodations to survivors, and ensure they are well fed, clothed and sheltered.
In badly-hit quake areas, more cases of large-scale casualties emerged yesterday.
At least 201 students from one school died after a three-story dormitory where 400 students who were taking an afternoon nap collapsed.
As of 5 pm yesterday, 201 students of Muyu Middle School in Qingchuan county were found dead, and 89 were rescued.
Only 139 students escaped from the dormitory when the quake struck.
More than 600 rescuers, including armed policemen, firemen and militia are still searching in the debris from survivors.
Vice-Minister of Transport Feng Zhenglin told a press conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing that it was difficult to repair blocked roads leading to the epicenter of Wenchuan as it kept raining and the narrow county roads did not allow for a large number of repair machines to operate at the same time.
Addressing the same conference, Ministry of Railway spokesman Wang Yongping said that all stranded passengers had been safely evacuated as of yesterday morning and no passengers were killed or injured in the quake.
He confirmed that a railway that links Chengdu with Dujiangyan had resumed operation two days after the quake.
The resumption of service on the 59.8-km line is of great significance because rescue workers and relief goods would be able to quickly reach areas hit hardest by the earthquake, said Wang.
With three trunk lines and 69 sites resuming operation two days after the quake, the rail system is capable of transporting relief staff and materials, Wang said.
Twenty-five military trains are en route to the disaster-hit regions, carrying 14,000 troops.
Relief materials including 55,935 tents and 284 cars of fuel had been dispatched.
（英语点津 Helen 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries
