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.

The Sichuan provincial government says the region’s death toll from last week’s earthquake in China has passed the 55,000 mark, with nearly 25,000 others still missing.

China ordered 101 more helicopters into the air today and planned aid drops into remote areas of Sichuan province as it struggled to cope with the powerful earthquake that has directly affected 10 million people.