Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

Coal miner observes a three-minute silence with deep sorrow in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, May 19, 2008.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from last week's devastating earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province was 40,075 nationwide as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Information Office of the State Council.

    Another 247,645 people were injured in the 8.0-magnitude quake that jolted southwestern Sichuan Province last Monday.

    At a press conference earlier Tuesday, the information office also said that 32,361 people were missing as of Tuesday at noon.

    According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, about 5.36 million buildings had been confirmed destroyed and more than 21 million were damaged in the earthquake as of Monday evening.

    The quake affected 434 counties in 10 provinces and municipalities, the ministry said in a statement issued Tuesday.

    As of Monday at midnight, up to 360,159 people trapped during the quake had been rescued and evacuated to safety, among them 6,375 excavated from debris, according to military sources.

    Military rescuers had reached all 1,044 of the worst-hit villages in 134 townships in Sichuan Province as of Tuesday evening.

    The Ministry of Civil Affairs allocated 278,462 tents, 783,984 quilts and 1.78 million items of cotton-padded clothes to the quake zones as of 1 p.m. Tuesday.

    The provincial power grids in quake-hit Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi as well as Chongqing Municipality, are back to normal operation, while the electricity supplies to Gansu, Chongqing and Shaanxi have resumed their normal levels.

    Power was out in the worst-hit Beichuan, Maoxian and Wolong counties, the information office said.

Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) search on the debris in the quake-hit city of Shifang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 19, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Millions mourn China earthquake dead with air sirens wailing in grief

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Millions of people in China and overseas observed three minutes silence at 2:28 p.m. Monday to mourn thousands of people killed in an earthquake which hit the nation's southwest a week ago.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, and other top leaders including Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang also stood in silence in the central government compound of Zhongnanhai in Beijing. Full story

China begins three-day mourning for quake victims

The students of senior 3 at Beichuan Higher Middle School attend a ceremony of resuming classs at a temporary school in quake-hit Mianyang city, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 19, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday began a three-day national mourning for the tens of thousands of people killed in a powerful earthquake which struck the country's southwest on May 12.

    At 4:58 a.m., the national flag at the Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing flew at half-mast after a complete flag-raising ceremony. Full story

National flags at Chinese diplomatic missions fly at half-mast in mourning for quake victims

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese embassies and consulates in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other countries flew Chinese national flags at half-mast on Monday morning in mourning for victims in the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, China.  Full story

Magnitude of SW China earthquake revised to 8.0

    BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The China Seismological Bureau (CSB) Sunday revised the magnitude of southwest China earthquake from 7.8 to 8.0 on the Richter scale. Full story

Chinese President expresses gratitudes for foreign aid in quake relief

    CHENGDU, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao Saturday night expressed gratitude to foreign countries and people who have offered aid since a major earthquake struck the country. Full story

President Hu renews call to save lives in remote villages 

    CHENGDU, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday urged rescue teams to reach remote villages that were battered by the strong earthquake in the southwestern Sichuan Province as soon as possible. Full story

Chinese President encourages quake victims to overcome difficulties

    BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao Friday went to Beichuan County of Mianyang City to visit people affected by the southwest China earthquake, encouraging them to be confident in overcoming hardships caused by the disaster. Full story

Chinese Premier stresses all-out efforts to rescue quake victims

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday underscored unremitting efforts in searching and rescuing people buried in debris in the earthquake in southwestern Sichuan Province. Full story

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