CNN) -- Crowds gathered in the devastated city of Chengdu shouted "Farewell, friends!" and "Rebuild!" as China began three days of national mourning Monday to honor the tens of thousands killed by last week's massive earthquake.
Chinese rescuers stand in silence as they mourn at a collapsed chemical factory.
The death toll in worst-hit Sichuan province, southwestern China, rose to at least 34,073 with another 245,109 people hurt, Chinese government officials said Monday. Authorities have estimated that the final death toll could reach 50,000, while millions more people have been left homeless by the disaster.
Traffic halted, work stopped and people bowed their heads across the country to observe three minutes of silence as air raid sirens, car, truck and train horns sounded a "wail of grief" at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT), exactly one week since the earthquake struck. Even rescue workers paused from the job of clearing debris and searching for survivors to mark the moment.
In Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, the three minutes was followed by shouts of support for the recovery effort, CNN correspondent Eunice Yoon said.
"During the moment of silence they were all holding hands, some of them were weeping... They are in a state of utter disbelief and utter shock that so many people have died," said Yoon.
It's terrible at what is happening now in our world. I think the environment is taking a revenge on us for taking them for granted for so long. Nevertheless, treasure the people around you as you will never know. Take care people. Tomorrow is a better day. Never lose hope.
"Strong feelings do not necessarily make a strong character. The strength of a man is to be measured by the power of the feelings he subdues not by the power of those which subdue him." - William Carleton
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