(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-19 17:52

BEIJING - Chinese diplomatic missions across the world started mourning victims of the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province at 2:28 pm Monday Beijing time (0628 GMT) as national flags flew at half-mast, exactly one week after the powerful tremor struck.

From 9:28 am Monday local time (0628 GMT), Chinese diplomats and Chinese studying and working in Israel stood in silent tribute for three minutes to mark their homeland's worst natural disaster in a generation.

Chinese national flags at the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv and Chinese ventures throughout Israel would fly at half-mast for three days in the national mourning.

Meanwhile, a three-minute silence was also observed and national flags were flown at half-mast at Chinese embassies and consulates in the United States, New Zealand, Pakistan, Egypt, Serbia and Zimbabwe.

China has declared a three-day national mourning from Monday to Wednesday for the quake victims, during which all Chinese national flags will fly at half-mast at home and in Chinese diplomatic missions abroad. Public recreational activities will be halted during the period.

At 2:28 pm.Monday (0628 GMT), Chinese citizens nationwide will stand in silent tribute for three minutes to mourn the quake victims, while air raid sirens and horns of cars, trains and ships will wail in grief.

In the mourning period, condolence books will be opened in the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates around the world. The Beijing Olympic torch relay will also be suspended.

China on Sunday revised the magnitude of the earthquake which hit Wenchuan county in the country's southwestern Sichuan province, at 2:28 pm May 12 Beijing time to 8.0 from the previous 7.8.

The death toll from the massive quake rose to 32,476 nationwide as of 2 pm Sunday, while the injured numbered 220,109, according to the emergency response office under the State Council.