9:56am UK, Thursday May 22, 2008

The death toll from the huge earthquake in south-west China has risen to more than 51,000, with nearly 30,000 others still missing.

Quake was devastating

The number of children left orphaned is thought to be more than 4,000.

China's government says it needs millions of tents to house survivors of last week's disaster, and has appealed to the international community for help.

The quake destroyed or damaged millions of homes, including more than 80% of the buildings in some remote towns and villages near the epicenter.

In bigger cities, whole apartment blocks collapsed or are now too dangerous to live in because of damage and worries about aftershocks.

The city of Beichuan, which was totally destroyed by the quake, is to be rebuilt in a new location, the government has announced.

Sky News China correspondent Peter Sharp said the earthquake was "a human tragedy of inconceivable proportions".

"The smell of death hit you before you even arrived in what was left of Beichuan," he said.

"It was a place of noise and dust, the sounds of people wailing for their loved ones, and the stunned and shattered faces of those sitting on the roadside, unable to comprehend what had happened to them."

Five million people were left homeless by the disaster.

"We need more than 3.3 million tents," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, adding that 400,000 had already been received.

"We hope and welcome international assistance in this regard. We hope the international community can give priority in providing tents."

Blocked streams, loosened soil, mudslides and the upcoming rainy season create the risk of secondary disasters that may make relief work and rebuilding even more difficult, officials say.

The earthquake and aftershocks created 34 lakes, known as barrier lakes, as debris blocked rivers and streams throughout the earthquake area.

The Olympic torch relay has resumed its run through China following a three-day period of national mourning.