BEIJING, May 31: The Olympic torch relay in quake-hit Sichuan has been postponed until just before the Games in August, state media said on Saturday, as local authorities focused on recovery efforts.

Zhu Ling, head of Sichuan’s torch relay event, told Xinhua news agency the flame would tour some of the province between Aug 3 and 5, meaning it would finish just three days before the opening ceremony.

“Due to the earthquake, the Mianyang, Guanghan and Dujiangyan legs might be cancelled,” Xinhua quoted Zhu as saying.

The three towns were badly damaged by the 8.0-magnitude earthquake, which hit Sichuan on May 12, killing over 68,900 people and leaving nearly 18,000 missing.

The Olympic torch relay – designed to showcase the nation’s rise as a peaceful power – has suffered a series of mishaps since it started its journey at the beginning of April.

The London, Paris and San Francisco legs of the relay were interrupted by pro-Tibet protesters objecting to China’s crackdown on violence in Lhasa, the capital of the Himalayan region, that erupted on March 14.

In mainland China, the torch has suffered from the over-enthusiasm of huge crowds, which has forced organisers to put out the flame on several occasions.

The relay was also postponed last week during the three-day mourning period for the victims of the earthquake.—AFP