Strong aftershock sends Chinese workers fleeing
Posted: 13 May 2008 1612 hrs

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BEIJING: A strong aftershock on Tuesday rocked a southwestern Chinese province still reeling from a devastating earthquake, sending panicked office workers running into the streets, state media said.

The tremor, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, shook Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, at around 3:10 pm (0710 GMT), the Xinhua news agency said.

The US Geological Survey measured the aftershock at magnitude 5.9.

Workers rushed from their buildings after the "strongest aftershock" since a 7.9-magnitude quake hit Monday, leaving tens of thousands of people dead or missing in and around Sichuan.

The region, which is historically prone to earthquakes, has suffered more than 1,950 aftershocks in the past 25 hours, experts from the China Earthquake Networks Centre said, according to Xinhua.

They included three that registered more than six on the Richter scale and 14 of between five and six, according to Xinhua.

The latest quake was again centred in Wenchuan County, said Yin Zhaomin, an official with the China Seismological Bureau told Xinhua.

Army troops and medics were only able to reach the poor mountainous region, 159 kilometres (99 miles) northwest of Chengdu, on Tuesday afternoon following Monday's devastating tremor.

Experts with the China Earthquake Networks Centre said strong aftershocks may continue to rock Wenchuan, though quakes exceeding 7.8 on the Richter scale were unlikely, Xinhua added.

Monday's quake in Sichuan province has killed nearly 10,000 people, according to official tolls, but the figure is expected to rise dramatically with at least 10,000 people reported buried in Mianzhu city alone.

China has launched an all-out aid and rescue effort in response to the disaster, which demolished schools, homes and factories. - AFP/ac