More than 50,000 people are feared dead in Sichuan Province alone after Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake, the rescue headquarters of the State Council said on Thursday.

The confirmed death toll in Sichuan was 19,509 by 4:00 PM on Thursday, up by 5,046 from Wednesday's 14,463, said Sichuan Vice Governor Li Chengyun at a press conference.

Li said another 102,103 people were injured.

The Sichuan provincial government has handed over 670 million yuan (US$95.7 million) for disaster relief efforts to quake-hit areas.

More than 100,000 Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers and armed police, 1,235 medical teams, local officials and volunteers were racing the clock for rescue and relief operations.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)