(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-20 16:44

"We hope the last photos of their beloved will comfort them a bit."

The death toll from the 8.0-magnitude earthquake had risen to more than 40,000 by Tuesday evening.

The task of identifying and handling the dead remained tough though the Ministry of Civil Affairs said 80 percent of the corpses in Sichuan have been buried or cremated.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Health, issued guidance to speed up the identification and handling of the dead to avoid decomposing bodies from contaminating areas where survivors are staying.

For the deceased who are believed to be foreign citizens, the state-run China Funeral Association will take charge of, disinfect and retain the bodies. Relatives can contact the association through http://bzxh.mca.gov.cn.

 

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