China Says Earthquake Toll Could Rise Above 50,000

The death toll from China's massive earthquake could soar to more than 50,000, state media reported on Thursday, as rescuers struggled to help survivors and hope faded for the thousands buried under rubble.

Already some 20,000 are confirmed dead as a result of Monday's 7.9 magnitude quake and 25,000 remained buried in areas rescuers have struggled to reach, battling landslides, buckled roads, collapsed bridges and wet weather.

The Communist Party leadership told officials to "ensure social stability" in rescue efforts, as the quake spawned rumors of chemical spills, fears of dam bursts and scenes of collective desperation.

Li Yunxia wipes away tears as rescue crews dig through the ruins of akindergarten class that has buried her only child -- a 5-year-old boy.

Other parents wail as soldiers in blue masks trudge through the mud, hauling bodies from the rubble on stretchers.

"Children were screaming, but I couldn't hear my son's voice," she says, sobbing.

This grim ritual repeated itself Thursday across southwestern China, as thousands of mothers and fathers await news about their sons and daughters.

The grief is compounded in many cases by a Chinese policy thatlimits most couples to one child, a measure meant to control explosivepopulation growth.

As a result of the one-child policy, thequake -- already responsible for at least 15,000 deaths -- is producinganother tragic aftershock:

Not only must thousands of parentssuddenly cope with the loss of a child, but many must cope with theloss of their only child.