China said it has faith in the safety of its nuclear power technology and will not scrap plans to expand its domestic industry because of Japan’s crisis.

Rescuers rushed to reach 24 coal miners trapped underground by China’s earthquake almost two weeks ago, officials said today as the government sharply raised the death toll and warned it could exceed 80,000.

China’s earthquake death toll has passed 60,000 and could rise to 80,000 or more, Premier Wen Jiabao said today as he and UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon visited the disaster area.