The death toll from Monday’s earthquake in China could reach as high as 50,000 people, the State Council said on Thursday, as rescue workers still struggled to reach some of the worst affected areas.

The number of deaths announced so far rose on Thursday to 19,500 in Sichuan province, the centre of the earthquake. However, the sharp escalation in the expected death toll indicates that hopes are fading for the tens of thousands of people who are still buried under collapsed buildings.