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China declares three days of mourning
China declared three days of national mourning for earthquake victims and suspended the Olympic torch relay as the search for survivors of the disaster grew bleak on Sunday.
- AP
- Published: 00:16 May 19, 2008
- A dead student holds a pen tightly in the debris site of Dongqi Middle School in Hanwang town of quake-hit southwest China’s Sichuan province.
- Image Credit: AP
Beichuan: China declared three days of national mourning for earthquake victims and suspended the Olympic torch relay as the search for survivors of the disaster grew bleak on Sunday.
The State Council said the mourning period will start today and include three minutes of silence observed by citizens nationwide while air raid sirens and horns of vehicles, trains and ships wail in grief.
Flag at half-mast
All national flags will fly at half-staff at home and at Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, and public recreational activities will be halted, said the council, China's Cabinet.
Beijing Olympic organisers said in a statement that the torch relay would also be suspended for three days "to express our deep mourning to the victims of the earthquake."
The relay will be held in quake-hit Sichuan province next month, organisers added.
The government said the confirmed death toll rose yesterday to 32,476. Another 220,109 people suffered injuries, according to a statement from the State Council. Some 9,500 remained buried in Sichuan.
Officials have said the final death toll is expected to surpass 50,000.
Experts say buried earthquake survivors can live a week or more, depending on factors including the temperature and whether they have water to drink.
The World Health Organisation said conditions for homeless survivors were ripe for outbreaks of disease and called for quick action to supply clean water and proper hygiene facilities.
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