China quake: Death toll exceeds 19,500

The death toll in China's Sichuan province from the devastating earthquake has exceeded 19,500 and several more are missing.

The death toll in China's Sichuan province from the devastating earthquake has exceeded 19,500, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday, citing local authorities.

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The confirmed death toll is a jump of about 5,000 since Wednesday, when authorities gave a toll of 14,463 dead for the province.

Tens of thousands more people are believed to be missing or buried under the rubble from Monday's 7.9-magnitude earthquake, with Sichuan suffering the vast bulk of the devastation.