The death toll from China's earthquake could soar to more than 50,000, state media reported today, as rescuers struggled to help survivors and hope faded for thousands buried under rubble.
A woman (with mask) mourns after hearing that her daughter was killed when a school collapsed in the earthquake-hit Hanwang town of Mianzhu. Reuters
Already some 20,000 are confirmed dead as a result of Monday's 7.9 magnitude quake and 25,000 remained buried in areas rescuers have struggled to reach, battling landslides, buckled roads, collapsed bridges and wet weather.
The Communist Party leadership told officials to "ensure social stability" as Monday's 7.9 magnitude quake spawned rumours of chemical spills, fears of dam bursts and scenes of collective desperation.
About 130,000 army and paramilitary troops assisted the search and rescue effort in the worst affected Sichuan province, sifting through dozens of towns turned to rubble.
Rescuers in the city of Dujiangyan wrapped corpses dragged from the rubble in tarpaulins and sped them to morgues.
Three days after the quake, hopes of pulling survivors from the ruins dimmed and the waves of rescuers appear to be hampered by lack of specialised equipment.
Half the epicentre town of Yingxiu, where corpses are lined along the river, has been flattened and 90 per cent of the buildings remaining look unsafe.
State Media also warned of rising risk of disease from unburied bodies and primitive sewage facilities, while calling for faster distribution of food, water, clothing and tents.
Xinhua news agency said 17 "malicious rumourmongers" had been punished for spreading "false information, sensational statements and sapping public confidence".