By Lucy Hornby
CHENGDU, China (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of panickedresidents rushed into the streets of Chengdu in southwest Chinaearly on Tuesday, alarmed by a television report that predictedanother powerful earthquake would hit the region.
The pandemonium triggered by the TV report, as Chinaobserved three days of mourning for the nearly 34,000 killed inthe May 12 earthquake, showed how people's nerves have beenstretched to breaking point by the disaster, and aftershocks.
Cars jammed roads leading out of Chengdu, and peoplecarrying bedding headed for open ground after hearing thatanother earthquake of 8-magnitude would shake the ravagedprovince of Sichuan overnight.
On Monday, sirens wailed across the country of 1.3 billionpeople and millions of Chinese stood in silence for threeminutes in homage to the victims of the disaster, the worst tohit China since 1976.
The death toll was raised to more than 34,000 on Monday,with some 245,000 people injured.
But the number of dead could rise dramatically as theCommunist Party chief in Sichuan said nearly 30,000 weremissing. A further 5,000 are believed still buried underrubble.
Provincial television and radio reported that apart fromthe earthquake that would strike Sichuan, there would also be6-magnitude tremors in Chengdu.
"They quoted a government department, so everyone's headingfor clear space. I'd be careful if I were you," called a youngman surnamed Huang.
Most of the dead from the 7.9 magnitude earthquake were inmountainous areas north and west of Chengdu.
The government put direct economic losses in Sichuan aloneat about 67 billion yuan (5 billion pounds).
"WORSE THAN WAR"
"I think the three minutes was important because it meansthat everyone, from the central government down to everyindividual, is thinking of us. Because this is worse than awar," said He Ling, a policeman in Pingtong town, which wasalmost totally wrecked by the earthquake.
Even as the rescuers stopped work to mark their respect tothe dead, another aftershock rattled the area and set off asmall landslide from a nearby cliff.
Air raid sirens, as well as car, train and ship hornswailed around the country to mark the one-week anniversary.Flags flew at half mast and cinemas were ordered to stopshowing films for the mourning period.
In Beichuan, another devastated town, several hundredrescuers bowed their heads and laid wreaths made from twigs andscrap paper pulled from the debris.
"We're all feeling very heavy hearted. So many peopleweren't saved," a soldier said, by the remains of a wreckedschool.
In Beijing, the country's top leaders, led by President HuJintao, wore white flowers on their chests and bowed insilence.
Nearby, in Tiananmen Square -- where student-ledpro-democracy protests were crushed by the army in 1989 --about 1,000 flag-waving people marched, chanting "Go China Go"and "Rebuild Sichuan."
SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS
A government official said rescuers had reached theremotest areas of the province by Monday, but roads to some 50affected towns and villages were still blocked by rocks andmudslides.
More than 200 relief workers in five vehicles were buriedby mudflows over the weekend, while trying to leavequake-affected areas, Xinhua said, citing the transportministry. The death toll had not been confirmed.
There was a burst of elation in ruined Beichuan, when onewoman was found alive under a mass of concrete.
But rescuers mostly had the gruesome job of recoveringdecomposing bodies. Dozens of bodies were pulled from therubble in Beichuan on Monday, and rescuers scattered lime andsplashed disinfectant to prevent disease.
Premier Wen Jiabao ordered further efforts to prevent thespread of disease.
On Monday, the Foreign Ministry appealed to theinternational community to provide more tents for about 4.8million people who lost their homes in the quake.
So far, 10.8 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) has been receivedfrom donors at home and abroad, China said.
($1=6.990 Yuan)
(Additional reporting by Chris Buckley in Beichuan and byBen Blanchard, Benjamin Kang Lim in Beijing; Writing by RichardBalmforth)
