As Chinese troops and other rescue workers break through roads to the epicenter of the country's deadly earthquake earlier this week, the death toll continues to rise and fewer survivors are being found, officials said Thursday.

The official death toll has surpassed 19,500, the government said as it issued a rare public appeal for more rescue equipment.

As many as 10 million people were directly affected by Monday's 7.9 tremblor. Damage in the quake zone has been heavy, and many survivors are homeless.

Some survivors are still being found, more than 72 hours after being trapped by debris. Workers pulled a 22-year-old woman to safety in Dujiangyan Thursday, her rescue shown on state television.

Chinese troops were working Wednesday to plug cracks in several dams near the epicenter. Officials feared some of the dams could break, causing further damage as well as power shortages.

© 2008 Newsroom.