China's Calamity Continues

A week after the deadly earthquake in Sichuan province, and the death toll continues to climb. The latest heartache is that 158 rescuers were killed when mudslides rolled through areas where the relief workers were trying to restore roads in the damaged areas.

The moment of mourning halted traffic around the country and quieted a nation with bowed heads and moist eyes. Rescue workers also stopped to honor the dead, marking a pause in a difficult but massive relief effort as the hopes of finding new survivors continue to dim.

Powerful aftershocks hampered relief efforts in the southwestern province of Sichuan. Rain and floods have posed additional threats, forcing some operations to be temporarily suspended. The deaths caused by landslides were reported by Xinhua, the official news agency, but the brief report gave few other details.

Despite the rising death toll, there were a few more remarkable rescues Monday, following a week of small miracles that have been played out on state-run television and have prompted a flood of aid and donations from around the world.

After being buried for nearly a week, a 50-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble of a residential building near a coal mine in Hanwang Township on Monday, the government said.

In Beichuan County, a 61-year-old woman who was trapped in debris for about 145 hours was also rescued Monday morning, officials said.

But with the confirmed death toll raised to 34,000 by late Monday, and the government saying the figure could reach 50,000, there is more grief than hope here. For most families, there are only dead bodies and missing relatives, and the odds of finding a relative alive are now small.

To honor those who have suffered, Beijing declared a three-day period of national mourning, beginning Monday.

Flags flew at half mast and the Olympic torch relay was suspended until Wednesday. In addition, entertainment on television and even online has been curtailed or banned.

The Chinese authorities say that 140,000 relief workers are involved in the efforts to recover bodies as hope dims for the rescue of survivors from the rubble. More than 240,000 people were injured in the quake, many requiring amputations. The property toll is just as daunting. Hundreds of dams and power stations need repairs and more than 5 million people are without homes.