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<title>China</title><image>
<title>People's Daily Online</title><link>http://english.people.com.cn/</link>
<url>http://english.people.com.cn/images/en/top_logo_e.gif</url>
</image>
<description>People's Daily Online</description>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/index.html</link>
<item>
<title>Canada to provide financial aid to China</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412647</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6412647.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 17:03:17 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Canada will provide financial aid to China in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday, Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda said Thursday. 

    The federal government will  ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Canada will provide financial aid to China in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday, Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda said Thursday. 

    The federal government will match private donations made to aid groups working on disaster relief in China, she said. 

    "We're constantly talking with the organizations on the ground and we're going to be responding as they assess their needs and get their requests into us," Oda told reporters in Ottawa. 

    Meanwhile, local governments and the public also offered financial help to China. The Ontario provincial government announced Thursday it would provide 1 million Canadian dollars (about 1 million U.S. dollars) to China. Premier Dalton Mcguinty expressed condolences for the victims and solicitude for survivors Monday, immediately after the earthquake happened. 

    "We know that every citizen of our world is a neighbor. So we stand with our Chinese neighbors in their time of need," he said. 

    Canadian public have been active in donating to support the earthquake relief work. More than 500,000 Canadian dollars (500,000 U.S. dollars) has been collected up to Thursday, according to the Canadian Red Cross. 

    More than 50,000 people are feared dead in Sichuan province alone after Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake, the rescue headquarters of the State Council said Thursday. 

    The confirmed death toll in Sichuan was 19,509 by 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) Thursday, up by 5,046 from Wednesday's 14,463, according to Li Chengyun, vice provincial governor of Sichuan. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Chinese Premier Wen back in Beijing from quake-hit area</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412646</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6412646.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 17:02:39 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao returned to Beijing Friday morning from quake-hit Sichuan Province in the southwest, where he has been directing the rescue and relief efforts since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday. 

Source ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao returned to Beijing Friday morning from quake-hit Sichuan Province in the southwest, where he has been directing the rescue and relief efforts since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Rescue work continues after latest 5.9-Richter-scale quake</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412644</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412644.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 17:02:01 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Rescue work resumed in the quake-hit areas in Sichuan after a moderate aftershock, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, jolted Lixian County of the Province at around 1:25 p.m. on Friday and affected its neighboring places, according to Xinh ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Rescue work resumed in the quake-hit areas in Sichuan after a moderate aftershock, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, jolted Lixian County of the Province at around 1:25 p.m. on Friday and affected its neighboring places, according to Xinhua reporters at the scene. 

    The magnitude 5.9 quake lasted about ten seconds and reporters saw rocks sliding from nearby mountains. 

    The military continued the disaster-relief work shortly after the recent tremor, and people were calm, says Xinhua reporter Huang Shubo. 

    Another reporter Xu Zhuangzhi, who arrived in Maoxian County, north of the epicenter, at about 11:30 a.m. Friday with a military rescue brigade, said the conditions there were "better than expected". 

    About 20 percent of the buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged and disaster relief work in the county was running smoothly, he said. A total of 2,150 troops and armed police were in the county, he said. 

    There were only two telephones for telecommunication service, one was used for local people and tourists to contact their family, and more than 1,000 people were queuing up for the service, including some foreign tourists, he said. 

    Maoxian County, a town dozens of kilometers north of the epicenter, connects the renowned tourist attraction Jiuzhaigou to provincial capital Chengdu. 

    About 6,500 tourists were left stranded in the county including visitors from the United States and Malaysia. More than 4,300 tourists have been transferred to safe places so far, according to Xinhua reporters. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Fresh aftershock in Sichuan cuts off roads, telecom, buries vehicles</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412642</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412642.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 17:01:24 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ A fresh aftershock measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale hit Lixian, Sichuan Province, on Friday afternoon, cutting off roads and telecommunication. 

    A number of vehicles were buried in landslides triggered by the aftershock. The casua ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[ A fresh aftershock measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale hit Lixian, Sichuan Province, on Friday afternoon, cutting off roads and telecommunication. 

    A number of vehicles were buried in landslides triggered by the aftershock. The casualties were not known yet, Xinhua reporters reported on site via satellite phone. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Chinese shares edge down 0.36%, securities stocks buck trend</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412637</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6412637.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:58:05 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chinese shares were 0.36 percent lower on Friday on heavy selling pressure, but securities stocks rose against the market. 

    The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index on the Shanghai Stock Exchange closed at 3,624.23 points, down 13.09 p ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Chinese shares were 0.36 percent lower on Friday on heavy selling pressure, but securities stocks rose against the market. 

    The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index on the Shanghai Stock Exchange closed at 3,624.23 points, down 13.09 points. 

    The Shenzhen Component Index on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange closed at 13,314.38 points, down 95.77 points, or 0.71 percent. 

    Combined turnover recovered further from Thursday's 125.7 billion yuan to 141.36 billion yuan. 
 
Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Warm weather for China quake zone; epidemic prevention urged</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412632</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412632.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:52:31 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Regions around the epicenter of China's earthquake would have warmer weather in the next three days, the China Meteorological Administration said on Friday, urging the prevention of epidemics. 

    It forecast high temperatures of 25 to  ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Regions around the epicenter of China's earthquake would have warmer weather in the next three days, the China Meteorological Administration said on Friday, urging the prevention of epidemics. 

    It forecast high temperatures of 25 to 29 degrees Celsius in the quake zone and called for intensified disinfecting measures. 

    There would be no strong precipitation but clouds could sometimes affect air rescue and relief work, it said. 

    It warned of higher possibilities of geological disasters in the epicenter, Wenchuan County, and in the nearby counties of Beichuan, Maoxian and Lixian during the day and evening Friday. 

    Local residents and rescue workers should pay attention to possible land slides and mud-rock flows caused by aftershocks and rain, said the administration. 

    Geological disasters were also likely to hit parts of western Yunnan Province, it said. 

    Torrential rain was forecast in north and northeast China, with thunder storms in Shandong Province and the southern part of north China. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Telcoms being restored in SW China, but aftershocks interfere</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412631</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412631.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:57:12 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ More southwestern Chinese counties whose communications links were severed by Monday's massive quake had services restored as of Friday, a day after phone services resumed in Wenchuan County, the epicenter, the Ministry of Industry and Inf ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[ More southwestern Chinese counties whose communications links were severed by Monday's massive quake had services restored as of Friday, a day after phone services resumed in Wenchuan County, the epicenter, the Ministry of Industry and Information said. 

    With the repair of the cable from Wenchuan to Lixian, Wenchuan is now re-connected with the rest of the country via fixed-line communications devices or the Internet. 

    Maoxian is now able to reach the outside world with cell phone calls from a few areas, with three new base stations in use, but fixed-line communication is still blocked. 

    The cables from Lixian to Maerkang, Qingchuan and Guangyuan had been fixed and people in these regions were briefly able to make fixed-line or cell phone calls. However, a 5.9-magnitude aftershock jolted Lixian County at about 1:25 p.m. on Friday, severing those just-restored services. 

    Telecommunications services in Heishui have largely returned to normal, although fixed-line service is still out. 

    In Beichuan, four emergency communication vehicles were brought in to provide services for 1,000 fixed-line users and 20,000 cell phone users at a time near the rescue and relief headquarters. 

    The communications systems in Pingwu were severely damaged by the 7.8-magnitude quake, and workers are rushing to repair the base stations. For the moment, people in Pingwu can only use satellite phones. 

    Telecommunications service in Mianzhu was back to about 30 percent of its original capacity and fixed-line cables were functioning in parts of the county. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Nurse rescued four days after SW China earthquake</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412630</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412630.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:56:49 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[A 23-year-old nurse was rescued at 2:23 p.m. on Friday from a collapsed town hospital in southwest China's Sichuan Province, four days after the earthquake on Monday that could claimed more than 50,000 lives.

Source:Xinhua ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[A 23-year-old nurse was rescued at 2:23 p.m. on Friday from a collapsed town hospital in southwest China's Sichuan Province, four days after the earthquake on Monday that could claimed more than 50,000 lives.

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>China's snooker ace Ding to donate tournament bonus for quake relief</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412629</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412629.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:56:06 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Ding Junhui promised to donate all his game bonus to the disaster relief against the country's worst quake in recent decades, said the Chinese star with the 2008 Huangshan Cup Snooker All-star Game entering the last three days. 

    "Whe ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Ding Junhui promised to donate all his game bonus to the disaster relief against the country's worst quake in recent decades, said the Chinese star with the 2008 Huangshan Cup Snooker All-star Game entering the last three days. 

    "When the quake started, I was practicing snooker. I heard from many friends that some areas were damaged pretty seriously," said Ding at a press conference on Thursday. "I hope I can do something to help, but one man's power is limited. I hope everyone can give a hand." 

    The earthquake measuring 7.8 Richter Scale jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province at 2:28 p.m. on Monday. By Thursday, nearly 20,000 people were confirmed dead in the most destructive quake in the country in decades. 

    After the domestic selection game closed on Thursday, Ding and Liang Bowen, along side with Liu Chuang and Jin Long, entered the international phrase and will vie with stars like Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams from Friday to Sunday. 

    Fu Jiajun from Hong Kong said: "It's a wonderful thing to compete with these first-class players, and it will be an exciting game." 

    Due to unsolved matter of poor performance during a press conference at the earlier China Open, Ronnie O' Sullivan had to change his schedule and let slip the game. 

    The tournament, consisting of two-day national selection and three-day international competition, started here Wednesday at the capital city of East China's Anhui Province and will end on Sunday. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Two people rescued after 95 hours in China quake debris</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412628</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412628.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:55:29 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Two people were rescued on Friday afternoon after being buried 95 hours in the remains of a office building in Beichuan, Sichuan Province, which was toppled down in Monday's massive earthquake. 

    They were rescued at 1:10 p.m. and 1:4 ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Two people were rescued on Friday afternoon after being buried 95 hours in the remains of a office building in Beichuan, Sichuan Province, which was toppled down in Monday's massive earthquake. 

    They were rescued at 1:10 p.m. and 1:40 p.m. respectively. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>CSB: major supplies not cut off, building damages not severe in Deyang</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412626</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412626.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:55:01 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Major power and water supplies as well as telecoms and transportation have not completely cut off in Deyang, a city 50 kilometers north to Chengdu, capital of southwest Sichuan Province, China Seismological Bureau (CSB) said Friday. 

    ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Major power and water supplies as well as telecoms and transportation have not completely cut off in Deyang, a city 50 kilometers north to Chengdu, capital of southwest Sichuan Province, China Seismological Bureau (CSB) said Friday. 

    The buildings in the city were not severely damaged as expected, and telecommunication and transportation were not completely paralyzed. according to the latest report from the CSB earthquake assessment working group. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Four days after quake, nation clings to hope of miracles in the rubble</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412625</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412625.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:54:25 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[About 90 hours after the 7.8 magnitude earth quake, rescuers could still detect signs of life in the rubble of Hangwang Town, of Mianzhu City, according to sources with the Chinese national rescuing team Friday. 

    "The possibility is  ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[About 90 hours after the 7.8 magnitude earth quake, rescuers could still detect signs of life in the rubble of Hangwang Town, of Mianzhu City, according to sources with the Chinese national rescuing team Friday. 

    "The possibility is very great that we can rescue the buried," said a team member. 

    Rescue work has come to a critical stage on Friday as survival chances for those trapped are slim after the first 72 hours. 

    "Giving-up is excluded from our dictionary," said the rescuing team member. 

    The government has vowed not abandon the search for survivors. 

    "Where there is a beam of hope, we will spare no efforts to save the trapped," said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in his work tour at the earthquake hit regions. 

    Rescuers have saved a student from the earthquake debris in Beichuan Middle School, 80 hours after the earthquake hit Beichuan town. 

    Rescuers said they could still hear weak yelling for help from under the collapsed building, and are expecting more miracles. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>122 aftershocks above magnitude 4 monitored in epicenter after major earthquake</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412624</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412624.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:53:42 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[As of midnight Thursday, 122 aftershocks measuring above 4 on the Richter scale had been monitored in Wenchuan County, the quake epicenter in southwestern Sichuan Province, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center on Friday. 

   ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[As of midnight Thursday, 122 aftershocks measuring above 4 on the Richter scale had been monitored in Wenchuan County, the quake epicenter in southwestern Sichuan Province, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center on Friday. 

    The biggest aftershock reported so far has been a magnitude-6.1 quake. 

    A devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale rocked southwest China. As of 4 p.m. on Thursday, the confirmed death toll in Sichuan alone was 19,509 and more than 50,000 people were estimated dead. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Civilian heroes everywhere in China's earthquake calamity</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412622</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6412622.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:53:21 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Civilian heroes were everywhere after Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan Province, one of the nation's worst disasters in recent decades. Their unselfish love and unconditional help have warmed the heart of strangers in trouble an ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Civilian heroes were everywhere after Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan Province, one of the nation's worst disasters in recent decades. Their unselfish love and unconditional help have warmed the heart of strangers in trouble and cheered the nation in a time of calamity. 

    DRIVER LOST LEG TO SAVE PASSENGERS 

    Tang Mingqing, the driver of a tourist coach, deliberately steered the vehicle into a mountainside to the left of the road, the closest to the driver's seat, when rocks plunged from above amid the quake in Aba Prefecture, Sichuan. 

    "Rocks were falling and the Earth was shaking. I couldn't control the coach. I chose the left side to turn at the last minute, since there was a river to the right," said the driver, who lost his left leg as a result. 

    Tang said the choice was the best option for the passengers to survive. 

    All 25 passengers escaped the accident unharmed. 

    DELIVERING NEW-BORNS IN EARTHQUAKE 

    Wang Cailan and her colleagues in the People's Hospital of Lixian County, Sichuan delivered eight children on the day of the earthquake. The county was in the epicenter. 

    When the delivery room started shaking, an expectant mother who was also a deaf-mute went into labor. Wang quickly moved the woman to a temporary work shed and knelt to help the delivery. 

    "The woman was gripped by panic and pain. She was unable to follow my directions," said Wang, who is a Qiang ethnic. 

    She said that seven of the women who gave birth that day were Tibetan and one was a Qiang. 

    None of the women or babies were hurt in the quake. Wang's calm control of the situation was key. 

    The midwife was on duty for a third consecutive day as of late Thursday. She did not have a full night of sleep. 

    VOLUNTEERS WEARING RED RIBBON 

    In the People's Hospital of Mianyang City, beds occupied by injured survivors were everywhere in the lobby, parking lot and even the yard. They were taken care of and consoled by volunteers wearing red ribbons. 

    The city was one of the worst hit in the earthquake, with the death toll in the single county of Beichuan estimated at up to 5,000, with 10,000 injured, according to the latest information from the rescue headquarters. 

    "We are seriously short of medical staff. These volunteers came to our rescue. The hospital gave each of them a red ribbon for the convenience of distinguishing them in the crowd," said Wan Lihong, head of the publicity department in the hospital. 

    Li Dan, a young woman with a red ribbon, said that 30 of her colleagues were feared dead. 

    "There were about 50 colleagues in the office building on the Beichuan Water Affairs Bureau, when the quake started to jolt the building. We can only contact about 20 of them now," said Li in tears. 

    She walked through debris to the city center and volunteered to work in the hospital. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Indonesian leader extends condolence to China</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412618</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6412618.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:47:38 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Indonesian President Susilo BambangYudhoyono has sent a letter to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao expressing his deepest condolence and sympathy to the victims of the Monday's devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province. 

    "I and the ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Indonesian President Susilo BambangYudhoyono has sent a letter to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao expressing his deepest condolence and sympathy to the victims of the Monday's devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province. 

    "I and the Indonesian people would like to express our sincerest condolence for the massive loss of live, suffering and destruction from the earthquake," he wrote in the letter sent Thursday. 

    "We in Indonesia pray for the people and the government of China to get the determination and strength to overcome this disaster. 

    "If anything we can do to help our brothers in China, I hope Your Excellency would let us know," he wrote. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>State councilor: China grateful for Singapore's quake aid</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412617</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6412617.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:47:57 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo met here Friday with visiting Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo, expressing appreciation for Singapore's aid for earthquake victims. 

    Yeo, on behalf of the Singaporean government an ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo met here Friday with visiting Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo, expressing appreciation for Singapore's aid for earthquake victims. 

    Yeo, on behalf of the Singaporean government and people, extended condolences and sympathy for the Chinese people, saying that the Singaporean people was ready to stand by the Chinese people's side to offer help within capacity. 

    A 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday afternoon. The confirmed death toll in Sichuan was 19,509 by 4 p.m. Thursday, and more than 50,000 people were feared dead. 

    Singapore on Wednesday announced it will donate 200,000 U.S. dollars to China. The Chinese government has accepted rescue aid offers from Singapore. 

    State Councilor Dai Bingguo briefed Yeo on Sichuan's disaster relief work, and expressed appreciation for Singapore's aid. 

    Dai believed that under the leadership of the Chinese government, the Chinese people will be sure to overcome this serious disaster. 

    Dai and Yeo also exchanged views on the China-Singapore relations, saying that China was willing to push forward the relations with Singapore, in a bid to benefit the two peoples. 

    Yeo was here on a visit to China from May 14 to 18 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>Chinese president thanks HK people for help to quake-hit areas</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412614</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6412614.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:44:13 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chinese president Hu Jintao Friday thanked Hong Kong people for their help and donation to the quake-hit areas on the mainland in an interview with Hong Kong media. 

    Hu talked to the Hong Kong media in Mianyang, Sichuan province, whe ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Chinese president Hu Jintao Friday thanked Hong Kong people for their help and donation to the quake-hit areas on the mainland in an interview with Hong Kong media. 

    Hu talked to the Hong Kong media in Mianyang, Sichuan province, where a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Monday. 

    Hu flew in Mianyang from Beijing Friday morning, to direct the disaster relief work. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
</item>
<item>
<title>China rushes funeral workers to quake-hit Sichuan</title>
<NEWS_ID>6412613</NEWS_ID>
<link>http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90785/6412613.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 16:45:46 +0800</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chinese authorities have rushed funeral workers from elsewhere to quake-hit Sichuan province to cope with thousands of dead bodies. 

    The Chongqing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau has mobilized 60 workers from funeral parlors in the ci ...]]></description>
<full-text><![CDATA[Chinese authorities have rushed funeral workers from elsewhere to quake-hit Sichuan province to cope with thousands of dead bodies. 

    The Chongqing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau has mobilized 60 workers from funeral parlors in the city to help cremate victims' bodies in neighboring Sichuan, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said here on Friday. 

    The most devastating earthquake in the history of the people's republic hit Sichuan on Monday. Confirmed deaths have risen to 19,509, while the final death toll could hit 50,000, the government said. 

    Vice health minister Gao Qiang said the bodies of the dead would be handled properly as soon as possible to prevent a possible outbreak of epidemics. 

Source:Xinhua]]></full-text>
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