RUIJIN -- The Olympic torch relay in Ruijin of Jiangxi province started with a minute of silence to the victims of the deadly earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan province on Wednesday.

Olympic torch relay organizers, torchbearers and staff members observe one minute of silence in memory of the victims affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan Province before the torch relay in Ruijin, East China's Jiangxi Province, May 13, 2008. Organizers of the Beijing Olympic Games said Tuesday that a minute of silence will be observed during future stops of the torch relay to mourn the victims of the earthquake. [Xinhua]

All the people in the opening ceremony of the Ruijin relay observed a minute of silence to the victims of the strong quake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale which struck Wenchuan at 2:28 p.m. on Monday.

The tremor was felt in many other parts of the country. The disaster had caused more than 12,000 reported deaths by Tuesday evening in Sichuan alone.

The torch relay organizers started to accept cash donations to quake victims on Tuesday in Ruijin Hotel.

The Jiangxi provincial government has donated 5 million yuan (US$710,000) and Ganzhou, which governs Ruijin and is the second largest city in Jiangxi, has contributed 2 million yuan. The Ruijin government, local entrepreneurs, celebrities and Olympic torchbearers combined to donate 1 million yuan.

The Ruijin journey started a simplified relay in the Red Army Square of Yeping.

Liu Jiaqi, 95 and a Red Army veteran, is the oldest torchbearer so far. Qiu Lixing, 15, is one of the youngest runners in Ruijin and he will donate his torch to China's Red Cross for auction.

Qiu, born with a heart problem, received a heart surgery funded by a charity donation.

"I decided to donate my torch to China's Red Cross for auction, who has helped me a lot over years," said Qiu on Tuesday.

"The auction can be used to help the earthquake sufferers."

Ganzhou mayor Wang Ping said Ganzhou people's hearts go to the quake victims.

"We are standing hand in hand, heart to heart with those suffering in disaster," said the mayor.