The death toll from Monday's earthquake in China could reach as high as 50,000 people, the state council said last night, as rescue workers still struggled to reach some of the worst affected areas. The number of deaths announced so far rose yesterday to 19,500 in Sichuan province, the centre of the earthquake. However the sharp escalation in the expected death toll indicates that hopes are fading for the tens of thousands of people who are still buried under collapsed buildings. Concerns rose about the safety of the many dams in Sichuan after an official at Huaneng Power, one of the country's largest power producers, said two dams up-stream of its hydropower station could collapse "at any time". The government warned on Wednesday that as many as 391 dams had been damaged by the quake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale. "There are many dams in Sichuan province and damage from the quake is extensive and the dangers are unclear," said Chen Lei, water resources minister, in comments published on the ministry's website yesterday. He also said it was hard to find out information from the management of some hydropower stations because of damage to communication systems. Roads were cleared yesterday to two of the towns at the centre of the earthquake, Beichuan and Wenchuan. Despite a massive relief effort involving 100,000 soldiers and police, many smaller villages can still only be reached by air and the authorities are planning to deploy over 100 extra helicopters to provide aid to these areas. Survivors from isolated villages have been walking, sometimes for days, to nearby towns in search of food and clean water. In Taihongcun, a village in Beichuan county, two houses and a few paddy fields were all that remained of the 800 people who had lived there before the quake split the mountain above. "My house is the only one left from our commune," said Lin Jianyun, 71, through tears. "I've come looking for food for me and my wife." As the scale of the disaster continues to escalate, the government issued a rare public appeal for help, asking for donations of rescue equipment including cranes, concrete-cutting tools, body-heat detectors and rubber boats. An extra 50,000 shovels were also required. The authorities have also begun to ask for overseas disaster experts to help the relief effort, having so far only accepted offers of money or supplies. Japan, which has earthquake recovery expertise, said it was sending two groups of 30 rescue workers and they are expected to bring sniffer dogs and heat-sensing equipment. Taiwan's Red Cross is sending a team of disaster relief specialists, while the Taiwanese government is also sending a cargo plane to Sichuan, containing tents and medical supplies. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008