China mourns quake victims
19/05/2008 07:29  - (SA)  

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Beichuan - Flags flew at half staff, public entertainment was cancelled and 1.3 billion people observed three minutes of silence on Monday as China began three days of mourning for victims of the country's massive earthquake.

Officials asked for the horns of cars, trains and ships and air raid sirens to sound as people fall silent at 14:28 (06:28 GMT) - exactly one week after the quake splintered thousands of buildings and killed an estimated 50 000 people.

The Olympic torch relay - a potent symbol of national pride in the countdown to August's much anticipated Beijing games - has also been suspended during the mourning period.

It was the first time China has had a period of mourning for anyone other than a national leader such as Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping.

Flags at half mast

The national flag in Tiananmen Square, which is raised in a solemn ceremony every morning at dawn, fluttered at half staff. State television repeatedly broadcast the ceremony.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, ordered all "public entertainment activities" suspended during the three days of mourning, without giving specifics on which activities were banned. China's National Grand Theatre will cancel or postpone all performances during the three days.

Media reports said numerous bars, nightclubs, karaoke parlours and movie theatres had stopped business beginning at midnight in major cities such as Beijing, Shenyang and Changsha.

Newspapers across China printed their logos in black and some ran entirely without colour. Several front pages were covered in black, with simple messages in white text across the middle: "The nation mourns," "Pray for life," and "National tragedy".

Trade on China's stock and commodities exchanges was suspended for the three-minute period of silence, the Securities Regulatory Commission said.

Hope for trapped survivors dwindles

The mourning period begins as hope of finding more trapped survivors dwindle, and preventing hunger and disease among the homeless become more pressing.

With more corpses discovered, the confirmed death toll rose to 32 476, the State Council reported. The injured numbered more than 220 000.

- AP

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