Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

An unidentified torchbearer makes donation to southwest China's Sichuan province attacked by a serious earthquake on Monday during a press conference of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 16, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    WENZHOU, Southeast China, May 16 (Xinhua) -- As the Olympic flame shed light Saturday in Wenzhou city, 108 torchbearers in Wenzhou has donated 475,000 yuan (68,840 U.S. dollars) for quake victims of a deadly earthquake in southwest China.

Torchbearers make donation to southwest China's Sichuan province attacked by a serious earthquake on Monday during a press conference of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 16, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The opening ceremony in Wenzhou relay observed a minute of silence to the victims of the strong quake measuring 7.8-magnitudewhich struck Wenchuan at 2:28 p.m. on Monday. Death toll from the quake climbed to 22,069 by 2:00 p.m on May 16, according to official statistics.

Torchbearer Zhou Xiaojing makes donation to southwest China's Sichuan province attacked by a serious earthquake on Monday during a press conference of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 16, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    An estimated crowd of 200,000 people gathered along the torch route in Wenzhou city.

    Wenzhou, the first stop in Zhejiang, is renowned for its rapid economic growth especially in the private sector.