As of 8:00 AM on Thursday, more than 5,500 earthquake survivors had been excavated from debris by the armed police, police sources said.

More than 50,000 people had been evacuated from the epicenter of Monday's devastating quake -- Wenchuan, Sichuan Province -- and other worst-hit regions including Dujiangyan, Beichuan and Maoxian in Sichuan and Longnan in northwest Gansu Province.

The death toll had risen to 14,866 as of 2:00 PM on Wednesday.

The road from Dujiangyan, a city northwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, to the epicenter, is still blocked by rocks and mud slides, holding up rescue, medical and other disaster relief teams.

The armed police and other rescuers had to reach the epicenter and other severely affected regions by air, water and even on foot.

By 8:00 AM on Wednesday, more than 800 armed police had arrived at Wenchuan and started rescue operations. By Thursday morning, rescuers had reached all 58 counties and towns stricken by the massive quake.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2008)