The death toll in southwest China's Sichuan Province from the May 12 magnitude 8.0 earthquake rose to 32,173 as of 7 p.m. Sunday, the provincial government said on Monday morning.
Another 9,509 people remained buried, 29,418 others were missing and 209,914 were injured, said Liu Qibao, Party chief of the province, at a teleconference on disaster relief.
Nationwide, the confirmed death toll climbed to 32,476 by 2 p.m. on Sunday, while the final figure was estimated to exceed 50,000.
More than 40 counties and cities were severely stricken in the quake. Rescuers had entered 3,592 villages by 7 p.m. on Sunday, however, another 77 were still out of reach given transportation and telecommunication problems, said Liu.
"We must go all out to get into these villages as soon as possible as the villagers there are in desperate need of our help," he said.
The official said the market supply in quake-hit areas was recovering and the price remained stable as the rescue operation went on.
At present, disaster relief efforts in Sichuan should focus on rescuing survivors, resettling victims, repairing damaged infrastructures, comforting the victims, maintaining social order and preparing for reconstructions, he said.