More than 50,000 people may have died in the earthquake that devastated parts of China on Monday, state media say.
The warning came after the government confirmed the death toll had risen to 19,500, as rescue efforts continue to search for thousands still trapped.
About 10 million people across Sichuan province have been directly affected by the 7.9 quake, state media said.
China is mobilising 30,000 extra troops to Sichuan to help the 50,000 already involved in rescue efforts.
China says it will accept foreign aid and has agreed to help from rescue teams from Japan and its rival Taiwan.
Correspondents say the death toll, which rose from 14,866 on Wednesday, is expected to rise further as rescue workers dig more victims out of collapsed buildings.
People are still being pulled out alive - a three-year-old girl and a pregnant woman were both found alive on Wednesday.
Desperate search
The BBC's James Reynolds, in Hanwang, says rescuers and relatives of those trapped reject suggestions time has run out for finding survivors alive.
At Juyuan Middle School, near Dujiangyan about 50km (32 miles) from the epicentre, 900 children were trapped in the rubble. Parents frantically pull away the debris from the ruins.
"It's not that we don't trust the rescuers," local resident Deng Yuehong told Associated Press Television on Thursday.
They have done a lot of work to search for survivors but they couldn't search all the places in such a large area here and there may be some places that they ignored.
"We just want to have another try to see if there are any bodies of school children buried here."
The Chinese government has appealed to the public to donate basic equipment to help in the rescue operation. It said hammers, cranes, shovels and rubber boats were urgently needed.
The health ministry says there will also be an increasing demand for medicines and sophisticated medical equipment as the rescue operations continue and survivors are treated for injuries such as bone fractures, crushed internal organs and kidney failure.
More than 10,000 medical workers, police and volunteers have been sent to Beichuan County, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sichuan province, where up to 5,000 are thought to have died.
Appeal
Deputy health minister Gao Qiang says more than 64,040 people have been treated since Monday's earthquake - 12,587 of them are seriously injured, Xinhua reports.
Officials say about 10 million people have been affected by the quake, many are in refugee camps, without proper shelter, food or clean water.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have issued an emergency appeal for medical help, food, water and tents.
Gu Qinghui, a member of the Red Cross assessment team told AP television: "I just came back from Beichuan County this morning, basically the whole county has been destroyed, there is no Beichuan County anymore.
"No one knows what has happened in particular areas, in the villages. I am sure that the numbers (death tolls) will just go up continuing day by day."
Olympic tribute
Tonnes of aid has been dropped from aircraft into isolated or inaccessible places in the province.
China says its contributions to the relief effort, in both cash and goods to the quake-hit areas, had risen to 1.34bn yuan ($192m).
Members of the public have also donated millions of yuan in both cash and goods.
Organisers of the Beijing Olympics say a minute's silence will be held at each stage of the torch relay, which is making its way through China.
Donation points are being set up along the route. It was due to leave Jinggangshan in Jiangxi province on Thursday.
The warning came after the government confirmed the death toll had risen to 19,500, as rescue efforts continue to search for thousands still trapped.
About 10 million people across Sichuan province have been directly affected by the 7.9 quake, state media said.
China is mobilising 30,000 extra troops to Sichuan to help the 50,000 already involved in rescue efforts.
China says it will accept foreign aid and has agreed to help from rescue teams from Japan and its rival Taiwan.
Correspondents say the death toll, which rose from 14,866 on Wednesday, is expected to rise further as rescue workers dig more victims out of collapsed buildings.
People are still being pulled out alive - a three-year-old girl and a pregnant woman were both found alive on Wednesday.
Desperate search
The BBC's James Reynolds, in Hanwang, says rescuers and relatives of those trapped reject suggestions time has run out for finding survivors alive.
At Juyuan Middle School, near Dujiangyan about 50km (32 miles) from the epicentre, 900 children were trapped in the rubble. Parents frantically pull away the debris from the ruins.
"It's not that we don't trust the rescuers," local resident Deng Yuehong told Associated Press Television on Thursday.
They have done a lot of work to search for survivors but they couldn't search all the places in such a large area here and there may be some places that they ignored.
"We just want to have another try to see if there are any bodies of school children buried here."
The Chinese government has appealed to the public to donate basic equipment to help in the rescue operation. It said hammers, cranes, shovels and rubber boats were urgently needed.
The health ministry says there will also be an increasing demand for medicines and sophisticated medical equipment as the rescue operations continue and survivors are treated for injuries such as bone fractures, crushed internal organs and kidney failure.
More than 10,000 medical workers, police and volunteers have been sent to Beichuan County, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sichuan province, where up to 5,000 are thought to have died.
Appeal
Deputy health minister Gao Qiang says more than 64,040 people have been treated since Monday's earthquake - 12,587 of them are seriously injured, Xinhua reports.
Officials say about 10 million people have been affected by the quake, many are in refugee camps, without proper shelter, food or clean water.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have issued an emergency appeal for medical help, food, water and tents.
Gu Qinghui, a member of the Red Cross assessment team told AP television: "I just came back from Beichuan County this morning, basically the whole county has been destroyed, there is no Beichuan County anymore.
"No one knows what has happened in particular areas, in the villages. I am sure that the numbers (death tolls) will just go up continuing day by day."
Olympic tribute
Tonnes of aid has been dropped from aircraft into isolated or inaccessible places in the province.
China says its contributions to the relief effort, in both cash and goods to the quake-hit areas, had risen to 1.34bn yuan ($192m).
Members of the public have also donated millions of yuan in both cash and goods.
Organisers of the Beijing Olympics say a minute's silence will be held at each stage of the torch relay, which is making its way through China.
Donation points are being set up along the route. It was due to leave Jinggangshan in Jiangxi province on Thursday.
Excerpted from BBC News, 15th May 2008
There are also news that the whole town being wiped out from the face of Earth!..God bless those who are trapped under the massive rubble and help those through those who lost their loved ones......
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