Quake Disaster Won't Stop Olympic Torch Relay in Sichuan

The organizing committee for the Beijing Olympics says the torch relay for the 2008 Games will go on as planned in China's Sichuan province next month.

Speaking in Beijing Tuesday, a spokesman for the committee said the earthquake in Sichuan will not affect the relay because the quake-stricken areas are not along the route.

The epicenter of Monday's 7.9 magnitude earthquake was in Sichuan, and most of the confirmed deaths from the quake are in the province.

The Olympic torch relay continued Tuesday in the Chinese city of Longyan, in the eastern province of Fujian. The torch is expected to reach Sichuan province next month, touring seven cities between June 15 to June 18.

On Wednesday, the torch will head to Jiangxi Province, to the west of Fujian.