Canadian doctors head to China quake zone

The first of several Canadian medical teams planning to travel to earthquake-ravaged China was to depart from Vancouver on Sunday.

The Canadian Medical Assistance Teams is sending a crew of doctors and paramedics to Chengdu, the provincial capital of hardest-hit Sichuan province.

The first team of five includes paramedics and doctors. Two of the doctors are Chinese-Canadians who will assist both medically and with translation for the rest of the Canadian team.

The team will assess within 48 hours whether a larger 10-member team should be sent.

Bill Coltart, the group's regional chair from Western Canada, said the physicians are volunteers, paying their own way to China, and will be working with the local emergency response officials.

The need for such help has become more urgent as the rescue efforts wind down. It's estimated the 7.9-magnitude quake that struck May 12 injured more than 200,000 people.

In Chengdu on Sunday the vice-governor of Sichuan said at a news conference the latest death toll in the province was more than 31,900. Officials have said they believe the number could exceed 50,000.

There are still more astounding tales of survival. Sichuan TV showed footage on Sunday of what they said was a 95-year-old woman who survived at least four days buried in rubble.

The report said she was sent to a hospital in the city of Mainyang in reasonable health considering her ordeal, but doctors kept her in hospital for further tests.