The death toll from the powerful earthquake that jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province had risen to 32,477 nationwide as of 2 p.m. Sunday, while the number of injured reached 220,109, according to the emergency response office under the State Council.

In Sichuan alone, a total of 31,978 people were killed since Monday's deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake, with 209,905 others injured.

Statistics from the emergency response office show that the death toll in Deyang and Mianyang cities of the province hit 10,341 and 11,874 respectively.

The office also gave a breakdown of the death toll in other areas as 4,156 in Chengdu, 2,586 in Guangyuan, 2,871 in Aba and 23 in Ya'an.

Outside Sichuan, the death toll was 364 in Gansu Province, 113 in Shaanxi Province, 16 in Chongqing Municipality, two in Henan Province, one in Yunnan Province, one in Hubei Province, one in Guizhou Province, and one in Hunan Province.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2008)