Bush says Hurricane rescue "largely finished"
16/9/2005 11:39
The work of rescue in the Hurricane Katrina-hit area "is largely
finished," and the work of recovery "is moving forward," US President George W.
Bush said Thursday.
In a speech broadcast live from New Orleans, Louisiana,
Bush said power has been restored in nearly all of Mississippi, and trade is
starting to return to the Port of New Orleans.
Agricultural shipments are
moving down the Mississippi River, all major gasoline pipelines are in
operation, preventing the supply disruptions that many feared, he said.
In
New Orleans, which was hit hard by the hurricane, the breaks in the levees have
been closed, and the water is receding by the hour, said the president.
Bush
said he has signed an order providing immediate assistance to people from the
disaster area, and as of Thursday, more than 500,000 evacuee families have
gotten emergency help to pay for food, clothing and other essentials.
Bush
delivered the speech during the fourth visit to the area hit by Katrina on Aug.
29, leaving hundreds of people dead and nearly 1 million displaced, and causing
billions of dollars in economic losses.
Xinhua news
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