China's Health Ministry said Thursday it has sent 200,000 cc of blood to quake zone for emergency medical use.

The blood is expected to arrive in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in northwest China's Qinghai Province late Thursday.

Yushu was jolted by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake Wednesday, which has left 617 people dead, 9,110 injured and 313 missing.

Liu Jun, head of the blood center in Yushu, said it had some reserve of blood on its only blood collection vehicle and medical staff were collecting more from volunteers.

Power supply had long been cut off in the blood collection center and volunteers begun to donate blood outdoors after cracks appeared on the center building.

Qinghai provincial blood center has mobilized people to donate blood for the people in need.

More than 500 injured in Yushu have been or are being transferred to provincial capitals of Gansu, Sichuan and Qinghai as of 4 p.m. Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry said it has sent 562 medical staff carrying medicines and medical equipment to the quake zone as of 4 p.m. Thursday.

Nationwide, a total of 18 teams with 491 quake-relief experts and another 52 teams with 1,352 medical staff are on call to offer assistance to the quake zone upon request, according to the ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2010)