Torchbearers and people attending the next 98 legs of the relay across China will observe a one minute's silence at each stage in memory of those who lost their lives in the earthquake, the organizers of the Beijing Games said last night.
The organizers in Jiangxi province where the torch will pass through the cities of Ruijin, Jinggangshan and Nanchang from today have canceled all performances at the launch and closing ceremonies. Torchbearers may wear black armbands and charity boxes will be set up at the start and finishing points.
No Olympic venues in Beijing have been damaged by the quake, including the Bird's Nest, the Water Cube, and the Workers' Indoor Gymnasium.
The State Seismological Bureau recorded a 3.9 magnitude tremor in Tongzhou District in east Beijing on Monday afternoon.
"We are highly concerned with the situation, and we have sent our deep condolences to the relatives of people who lost their lives in the disaster," Li Zhanjun, director of the Olympic media center, said yesterday.
"BOCOG is closely watching the situation. Currently, there are no plans to change any of the relay routes," Li said.
Beijing newspapers earlier quoted Zhang Ming, director of the BOCOG torch relay center, as saying contingency plans will be put into effect after assessing the quake damage.
The torch relay is scheduled to be held in the middle of next month in Chongqing and Sichuan, both severely hit by the quake. The four-day relay in Sichuan will cover seven cities, including Chengdu and Mianyang.
The International Olympic Committee is giving $1 million to aid relief efforts following a heavy earthquake in China.
"This appears to be a major disaster, the scale of which is only just becoming apparent," IOC president Jacques Rogge said yesterday.
Rogge had earlier sent a letter of condolence to Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday after hearing about the earthquake.
Xinhua contributed to the story
Source: China Daily
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