China quake death toll soars past 12,000

DUJIANGYAN, China (Reuters) - The number of dead in China'searthquake climbed past 12,000 on Tuesday with the toll expectto soar further after state media said nearly 19,000 peoplewere buried under rubble in one city alone.

Rain hampered rescue efforts in the mountainous area aroundthe epicentre of Monday's 7.9-magnitude quake that jolted thesouthwestern province of Sichuan, the country's worstearthquake in three decades.

State media reported scenes of devastation as rescuersgradually filed into villages near the epicentre in Wenchuan, aremote county cut off by landslides about 100 km (60 miles)northwest of the provincial capital, Chengdu.

An advance squad of more than 30 People's Liberation Army(PLA) troops arrived at Wenchuan's Yingxiu township and rescued300 injured residents, Xinhua news agency said.

Only 2,000 were found alive in the town of 12,000,according to He Biao, a local official.

"They could hear people under the debris calling for help,but no one could, because there were no professional rescueteams," state television quoted He as saying.

About 60,000 people were unaccounted for in Wenchuan, where600 armed police were due to arrive before dawn on Wednesday.

"What we most need is medicine. There is no medicine, thereare no doctors and after such a long time, no food," He said.

More than 12,000 people died in Sichuan and more than26,000 were injured, Sichuan vice-governor Chengyun said.

A further 18,645 people were buried under debris in thecity of Mianyang, Xinhua said, suggesting the death toll waslikely to rise sharply.

Thousands were reported to be buried under factories,schools and other buildings elsewhere. Hundreds more have diedin neighbouring provinces.

FEARS OVER RESERVOIRS

Li said several reservoirs upstream of the Min river, atributary of the Yangtze flowing through the quake-hit region,were "in a very dangerous status and the dams may burst".

Flood relief authorities had ordered officials to"thoroughly inspect and remove hidden dangers of dams", Xinhuasaid. Landslides had blocked the path of a river in Sichuan'sneighbouring province of Gansu.

Officials have warned that more powerful aftershocks couldhit the region and mudslides could add to the toll.

A strong aftershock rocked Chengdu on Tuesday, one of 2,354in the province over the past day, unnerving residents.

More than 50,000 troops joined disaster relief efforts orwere advancing to the area. Thousands were ordered to parachuteinto Wenchuan, where rain and clouds had prevented militaryhelicopters from landing.

Visiting Premier Wen Jiabao ordered troops to clear roadsto Wenchuan. "Please speed up the shipping of food. The kidshave nothing to eat now," Wen said amid crying children.

In Dujiangyan -- about midway between Chengdu and theepicentre -- bodies lined streets and residents cradledpossessions in front of homes reduced to piles of rubble.

Rescuers worked through the night, pulling bodies fromruined buildings after the earthquake, which rolled fromSichuan across China and was felt as far away as Bangkok andHanoi.

About 900 teenagers were buried under a collapsedthree-storey school building. Frantic relatives tried to pushpast a line of soldiers, desperate for news of their children.

"We're still pulling out people alive, but many, many havedied," said one medical worker.

Eleven tourists suspended in a gondola over a gorge innorthern Sichuan's scenic Jiuzhaigou area were brought tosafety after being trapped for nearly 24 hours.

A group of 19 British tourists were missing near theepicentre after travelling by coach to Wolong, a large pandareserve. Phone lines to the area were cut.

China said that there had been no reports of foreigncasualties by midday (0400 GMT).

The quake was the worst to hit China since the 1976Tangshan tremor in northeastern China where up to 300,000 died.

China's benchmark stock index ended down on Tuesday andtrading in the shares of 66 companies was suspended.

Analysts said they did not expect serious economic effectsfrom the disaster but supply shortages could fuel inflation,already at a near 12-year high.

The State Administration of Grain ordered local governmentsto ensure grain and cooking oil supplies and price stability.

Offers of aid have come from around the world after thedisaster, which occurred three months before the BeijingOlympics.

Olympic officials assured foreigners the country was safe.A minute's silence would start each stop of the domestic torchrelay and celebrations would be scaled down.

The International Olympic Committee said it would donate $1million and the United Nations also offered support.

(Writing by Lindsay Beck and Ian Ransom; Editing by NickMacfie and Andrew Dobbie)