200 Chinese relief workers buried by mudslides!

CHINA - May 19, 2008 - A total of 200 Chinese rescue workers have been buried by mudslides in the past three days, it was announced today.

China's state Xinhua news agency said the workers from the Transport Ministry were buried while repairing damaged roads. Officials are still counting how many have been killed.

The news emerged as China marked the start of a three-day grief period for victims of the Sichuan quake with a three-minute silence.

At 2.28pm, exactly one week after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake devastated the country’s southwest provinces, the country stood silent as it grieved for the 70,000 people believed to have died under the rubble.

All public recreational activities have been suspended, the Olympic torch relay has been delayed and national flags are to be flown at half mast.

It is the first time that China’s “ordinary” citizens have been honored in this way.

In Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, hundreds of people gathered for the three minutes of silence. Beforehand, they lined up to take photos of the flag at half-mast.

“This is the first time I’ve seen our flag like this,” said a 61-year-old man. “Before, this would never have happened for us ordinary people.

“But now, seeing the flag down for the people of Sichuan, we know we are all equal.”