China has announced three days of national mourning for the victims of last week's earthquake.

It has also raised the official death toll to 32,500.

Peter Cave reports that the magnitude-six aftershock which hit the earthquake affected areas in the southwest of the country has claimed fresh lives.

The powerful aftershock set off landslides and caused building already weakened after last Monday's earthquake to collapse.

At least three people died in the town of Jiangyou and that toll is expected to rise as more reports come in from outlying areas still cut off from communications.

There have been 24 aftershocks measuring above five on the Richter scale.