11.   They then removed the rock from the pontiff and tried, according to some news reports, to stand it on its wax feet.

12.   Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto told reporters Friday he hoped the rocks could be removed before all hope of survivors was lost.

13.   All the TV networks carry frequent live updates, and the long, frustrating attempt to remove the rock was told in banner headlines.

14.   Director of the department, Max Kitchell, said it seemed the thieves knew what they were doing and had taken some care to remove the rock intact.

15.   Explosives are widely used in China to remove rocks from farm fields, clear construction sites and illegally mine for coal, among other uses.

16.   Hundreds of people who had been stranded on the mountain were evacuated by Saturday as rocks were removed and highways cleared.

17.   Max Kitchell, director of the department, said it seemed the thieves knew what they were doing and had taken some care to remove the rock intact.

18.   Officials said they were concentrating on trying to remove the rock.

19.   Rescue workers began removing rocks inside the tunnel early Thursday, a day after blowing up a huge boulder threatening to trigger further landslides.