By foreign editor Peter Cave and staff Rescuers are running out of time to pull victims alive from the rubble of collapsed buildings.

NPR.org, May 16, 2008 · Rescue workers in China were still finding survivors as they braved strong aftershocks and landslides Friday, days after a massive earthquake devastated parts of southwest Sichuan province.
The death toll from the magnitude 7.9 quake — the country's worst in decades — stood at more than 21,500, Sichuan Vice Gov. Li Chengyun said. The government has said the number killed is expected to exceed 50,000.
he disaster zone, from Japan, arrived early Friday. China initially was reluctant to accept foreign offers of help, but the Foreign Ministry said early Friday that specialist teams from Russia, South Korea and Singapore also were welcome.

Observers have been struck by the openness and completeness of Chinese coverage of the May 12 earrthquake and its aftermath. This is much different than was the case in earlier disasters, and the contrast is especially stark when compared to coverage of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. Xiaoning Mo used to work in Chinese state media and now works for Radio Australia. She said, "This time the Chinese government is doing pretty well in terms of opening up its information and on transparency in terms of reporting the disaster... From an early stage after the earthquake, many government departments have been holding their own press conferences and giving updates on the situation