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China: Earthquake death toll could exceed 50 000- report Fri. May 16, 2008 01:50 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. - (SomaliNet)Official Chinese news agency Xinhua warned on Thursday that the death toll from the powerful earthquake that rocked China's Sichuan province could be higher than 50,000. The news agency earlier put the official death toll in Sichuan alone at 19,500. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has stepped up relief efforts to areas worst hit on Thursday, deploying thousands of extra troops and relief workers to aid the worst hit regions. The Defense Ministry planned to deploy 101 more helicopters to the remote areas of Sichuan province, launching concern that the death toll may rise unless help arrives soon. More than 116,000 soldiers and police have already been mobilised. Soldiers rushed to shore up a cracked dam, while rescuers at the isolated epicentre were forced to dig for survivors with their bare hands, because of lack of adequate rescue equipment. The Ministry of Information Industry appealed to the public asking for donations of rescue equipment ranging from hammers, shovels and demolition tools to cranes and rubber boats. Some 26,000 people remained buried in collapsed and China has said 10 million people have been directly affected by the disaster. The quake triggered landslides that blocked roads to hardest-hit areas. Three mountainous towns north of the provincial capital of Chengdu were still cut off, the official Xinhua News Agency said adding that 20,000 residents were trapped in the towns of Qingping, Jinhua and Tianchi. The number of casualties was not known. China also opened its borders to foreign help on Thursday, allowing a rescue team from Japan to aid in the efforts.-Agencies News Category: World Latest Headlines Latest News Tanzania: Comoros president hails Tanzania as l... Somalia: Steps being taken to free two foreign jour... Soccer: Kenya Tusker Football Club sacks coach Sudan: Darfur police raid victims shun being ai... Botswana: Two South Africans jailed for 18 years in ... Sudan: Sudanese passenger plane hijacked after ... Egypt: Israeli Defences Minister in Cairo for talks ... Angola: Ruling party may clean sweep in Angolan poll... Somalia: President Yousuf, Prime Minister ink deal... Zimbabwe: President Mugabe heckled, jeered in parlia... More News...