| The death toll and the missing from the | | | | had been buried by mud slides in recent days. |
| massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China is | | | | |
| now over 71,000 with tens of thousands | | | | The official death toll now stands at 34,073, |
| missing, and more the 5,000,000 homeless. | | | | but tens of thousands are know still buried |
| China's government has appealed for | | | | under the rubble. Many bodies lay by |
| international aid at the beginning of a | | | | roadsides in body bags or wrapped in plastic |
| three-day period of mourning for tens of | | | | sheeting, as authorities struggled to dig |
| thousands of people killed by a huge | | | | burial pits and crematoriums worked overtime. |
| earthquake: an unprecedented act for China. | | | | Much like cyclone Nargis that slammed into |
| | | | Burma two weeks ago, the death tool is just |
| The country's 1.3 billion population observed | | | | too staggering to comprehend let alone |
| three minutes of silence exactly seven days | | | | handle. |
| after the tremor left an estimated 71,000 | | | | |
| people dead. The horns of cars, trains and | | | | China issued an international appeal for |
| ships sounded with air raid sirens to mark | | | | donations of tents to provide shelter for |
| the moment, at 6.28am GMT. The massive | | | | millions of homeless earthquake survivors. |
| earthquake was one of the strongest in recent | | | | "Because the Sichuan earthquake destroyed |
| times. | | | | vast numbers of homes in a region that is in |
| | | | its rainy season, we urgently need a large |
| The mourning period begins as hope of finding | | | | number of tents," said foreign ministry |
| more trapped survivors dwindled, and the need | | | | spokesman Qin Gang. "We hope that the |
| to prevent hunger and disease among the | | | | international community will put tents as the |
| homeless became more pressing. Hundreds of | | | | first priority when they supply aid." |
| aftershocks and continuing bad weather | | | | |
| hampered the rescue operation. The Transport | | | | Adn they are! |
| Ministry said more than 200 relief workers | | | | |