BEIJING(AP) – Wednesday marks the second anniversary of China's worst disaster in a generation, the Sichuan earthquake — and a painful milestone for the families of the 17,921 people still recorded as missing.

Chinese law says relatives can apply two years after a disaster to have their loved ones registered among the dead. Not many are expected to do so. It's a choice that offers some minor financial compensation and a mix of closure and fresh pain.
Some mental health workers say the families of the missing carry a more difficult burden than those of the dead.
As families come forward, the official death toll — 68,712 as of the last count a year ago — will climb as the claims are verified. The provincial government has said it will take a year after relatives apply for such deaths to become official.
Sichuan officials are expected to update the number of dead and missing at a press conference Wednesday.
The compensation for a death in the earthquake is just 5,000 yuan ($730) from the central government plus an equal or smaller amount from the local government. For many in a rapidly growing China, the amount is almost token.