The State Council has placed the confirmed death toll at 60,560 from the 8.0-magnitude killer quake and counted 26,221 more people as missing. And on Saturday, Premier Wen Jiabao said the death toll ultimately could "further climbe to a level of 70,000 or 80,000 or more."

"Previously our main priority was the search and rescue of affected people," Wen said. "Our priority now is to resettle the affected people, and to make plans for the post-quake reconstruction."

China is struggling to cope with the immediate crisis, which is to provide temporary shelter to an estimated 5 million people left homeless by the earthquake.

Beijing has made an emergency appeal to other provinces to provide tents for the large numbers of people whose homes have been destroyed and who have no other shelter.