国内英语新闻:People united in Yushu quake rescue and relief effort

"Hang in there, Yushu!" became the headline for many online postings which were followed by thousands of responses praying for the dead and encouraging the survivors to move on.

Tens of thousands of netizens mourned the quake victims with postings and flowers in virtual mourning halls on several websites.

While rescuers and medical workers have raced against time to save lives in the quake zone, millions of netizens around the country tried to help in their own way.

Some said they had donated money or goods to local Red Cross societies, while many online postings on popular forums asked about the best way to donate.

Others wanted to volunteer in Qinghai, as hundreds of thousands of volunteers did in Sichuan two years earlier.

However, local officials have warned volunteers not to rush to the quake-hit area in large numbers due to the high altitude environment, freezing weather conditions and the area's inhospitable terrain.

A netizen with the handle "Whu snowwolf " suggested in a posting volunteers offer long-term assistance to the people of Yushu to help them return to normal life after the rescue work has wound down, instead of heading there now.