China seeks rescue equipment; rescuers open roads to epicenter
China issued a rare public appeal Thursday for rescue equipment as the government struggled to cope with this week's earthquake killing more than 19,500, while workers cleared key roads to the epicenter in the race to find survivors.
The official death toll rose above 19,500 in the Sichuan province alone where Monday's quake was centered, the regional government said Thursday, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. (AP)
