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Comment (The Beijing Olympic torch relay will be scaled down in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit China.
A spokesman for the Games organising committee (BOCOG) told AFP today the decision was made in response to the devastation of the Sichuan quake.
The 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck yesterday near Chengdu, capital of the south-western Sichuan province, flattening schools, factories and leaving nearly 12,000 dead, according to an official count.
But that figure was expected to rise dramatically with at least 10,000 people buried under rubble in Sichuan's Mianzhu city alone.
The quake struck less than 90 days before the opening of the Beijing Olympics, and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge also assured China's government of his support. “We send our deepest-felt condolences for the victims. The Olympic movement is at your side, especially during these difficult months. Our thoughts are with you,” IOC p...
