The Chinese Academy of Sciences today released simulated aerial footage of Baoxing, a county in quake-stricken Ya’an.

Video recorded by a remote-sensing plane shows the terrain and natural environment after the earthquake, with buildings, a river and a stadium clearly visible.

The simulation will help rescuers study the condition of the area, which as of 1 pm today will still inaccessible to relief workers due to severe road damage.

The B-4101 plane, from the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, took off at 9:50 am on Saturday from Mianyang Airport, in another part of Sichuan province.

It then surveyed areas affected by the quake, including Baoxing, which is in north Ya’an, and Lushan county, the epicenter of the earthquake.

Data obtained was transmitted to Beijing on Saturday afternoon to assist in the government’s disaster relief mission, the institute said.

Contact the writers at [email protected] and [email protected]