The death toll of China's major earthquake increased by two to 69,188 as of Saturday noon, the State Council Information Office said.

The number of the injured increased by three to 374,177 and people reported missing dropped to 18,440 after the 8.0-magnitude quake jolted southwestern Sichuan Province and neighboring regions on May 12.

As of Saturday noon, 96,335 injured people had been hospitalized and 84,913 have recovered and left hospital. There are still 8,784 people remaining in hospital, the office said in a statement.

The relief workers had rescued and evacuated 1,471,534 people in quake-hit areas as of Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2008)