China issued an appeal for heavy machinery Thursday, as rescuers dug for survivors and bodies near the epicentre of the massive earthquake that struck the country three days ago. China's state cabinet said the death toll from Monday's 7.9-magnitude quake will likely hit 50,000, as tens of thousands of people are still believed to be trapped under the rubble in the badly affected central province of Sichuan, according to the state news agency Xinhua. More than 19,500 people have been found dead so far, an official death toll that jumped from 15,000 on Wednesday. The Chinese government has issued a plea for equipment on its website, asking for donations of cranes, hammers, shovels and demolition tools. Roads in the epicentre area, in Wenchuan in northwest Sichuan, are being cleared of debris, allowing rescue teams made up of about 130,000 police, soldiers and volunteers to bring in heavy machinery. Up until Thursday, most rescuers had been...