China quake toll nears 30,000

BEICHUAN, China (Reuters) - Thousands of soldiers andfamilies looking for missing kin streamed into one of the worstaffected areas of China's massive earthquake on Sunday, as astrong new aftershock hit and the death toll neared 30,000.

Rescue workers have plucked more than 60 more survivorsfrom the rubble following Monday's quake in the southwesternChinese province of Sichuan, even as hopes fade for theestimated 10,000 people or so still trapped under the rubble.

The United States Geological Survey reported a tremor of6.1 magnitude early on Sunday centred 80 km (50 miles) west ofGuangyuan, the latest in a series of aftershocks to hitSichuan.

The official Xinhua news agency said there was no immediateword of additional damage or casualties in the area.

In the provincial capital, Chengdu, some 200 km south ofthe new tremor's epicentre, buildings swayed and people rushedout into the streets, risking a soaking from a passing storm.

But nuclear facilities close to the affected zone,including China's chief nuclear weapons research lab, are "allin a safe and controllable state", Xinhua said.

In Beichuan, hard hit by the quake and which many peoplefled on Saturday following warnings a dam may collapse, worriedrelatives quarrelled with police who tried to prevent thementering the area, citing safety reasons.

"I've travelled all this way, and I don't know where myfather is," said Chen Shiquan, who had come back from theneighbouring province of Qinghai where he works to look forthis father, Chen Xiaoqu.

"To let me get this far and then not let me in is toocruel," he added.

In Yingxiu, close to the epicentre of Monday's 7.9magnitude quake, at least 56 people were rescued, the officialXinhua news agency said.

Soldiers engaged in relief work "have their hands stainedwith blood and earth after days of searches in the debris",Xinhua added.

Thousands of people have fled in the Beichuan area amidfears a lake could burst its banks, hampering rescue effortsafter the deadliest earthquake in more than three decades.

At least one barrier lake, formed after rocks blocked ariver, has burst its banks but caused no casualties, Xinhuasaid.

Fu Xingyue, looking for his daughter who was supposed toturn six the day after the quake happened, brushed off safetyconcerns.

"I don't think the dam is a big threat, and anyway, there'snothing I can do. I have to keep searching," said Fu, who worksas a truck driver and has spent days desperately searchingthough rubble and shouting out his daughter's name.

BAD WEATHER, AFTERSHOCKS

Rescue work has been complicated by bad weather,treacherous terrain and hundreds of aftershocks.

President Hu Jintao urged emergency workers not to give upefforts to find survivors. "We should put people first andsaving people's lives is still the top priority of the reliefwork," he said.

Offers of help have flooded in and rescue teams from Japan,Russia, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore have arrived.Donations from home and abroad have topped 6 billion yuan (438million pounds).

Fujiya Koji, head of the Japanese rescue team in Sichuan,told Reuters that chances of finding more survivors were low.

"We haven't been able to find any survivors yet. Generallyby this stage the likelihood of survival is low. They say theyhave been finding some in Beichuan and we'll certainly keeptrying," he added.

China has said it expects the final death toll from theearthquake to exceed 50,000. About 4.8 million people have losttheir homes and the days are numbered in which survivors can befound.

Premier Wen said the quake was "the biggest and mostdestructive" since before the Communist revolution of 1949 andthe quick response had helped reduce casualties.

(Additional reporting by John Ruwitch; Writing by BenBlanchard; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)