China mourns coronavirus victims with 3-min silence and flag flown at half-mast

China has mourned the victims of the coronavirus outbreak by observing a three-minute silence, bringing the nation to a halt.

A day of remembrance was declared in China on Saturday to honour the more than 3,300 people who died of Covid-19.

At 10:00 local time (04:00 CET), people stood still nationwide for three minutes in tribute to the dead. Cars, trains and ships then sounded their horns, air raid sirens rang as flags were flown at half-mast.

China's government said the event was a chance to pay respects to "martyrs", a reference to the 14 medical workers who died battling the virus.

Saturday's commemorations coincide with the annual Qingming Festival when millions of Chinese families pay respects to their ancestors.