The Mourning Begins
BBC reports that China declares national mourning
China has announced three days of mourning for the tens of thousands of victims of Monday’s earthquake.
It will begin with a three-minute silence at 1428 (0628 GMT), exactly a week after the quake struck the south-western Sichuan province.
The Olympic torch relay will also be suspended for three days.
The number of confirmed deaths has now risen to 32,477, but officials say the final toll may reach 50,000. More than 220,000 people have been injured.
Chinese President Hu Jintao has expressed gratitude for the international help with relief efforts following the magnitude 7.9 quake.
Take the time to look at the BBC’s Mapping the earthquake zone page. The Satellite tab shows landslides blocking the roads and damming the river.
The shaking continues, making search efforts even more dangerous, which is why officials are so pessimistic about the death toll.
