Date:06/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/06/stories/2008080661862000.htm

International

6.1-magnitude quake in Sichuan

BEIJING: One person was killed and 23 injured in a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Qingchuan County in Sichuan on Tuesday.

The casualties were in Yaodu Township, which was also severely affected by the 8.0-quake on May 12, said an official in the publicity department of the Qingchuan County Committee of the Communist Party of China. Ma Jian, chief of the publicity department, said the latest quake also disrupted communications in Yaodu. Details of other damage are not available yet.

The China Earthquake Networks Centre said Tuesday’s aftershock struck Qingchuan, adjacent to Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, with the epicentre about 10 km underground. It was felt in the cities of Hanzhong and Xi’an, both in Shaanxi, as well as Chongqing. Many people rushed out of buildings in those cities.

The death toll from the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan and its neighboring regions stood at 69,207 as of Monday, said the State Council Information Office. The number of people listed as missing and injured stood at 18,194 and 374,468, respectively. — Xinhua