Tremors rocked central China's Henan Province and east China's Fujian Province on Monday.

A minor earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale jolted an area east of Fengqiu, a county in the northeastern part of Henan Province, at about 5 AM, said information from Henan Provincial Earthquake Bureau.

Residents in Fengqiu said when the quake struck they felt the ground shake and heard sounds like a smothered thunder clap.

The tremor caused cracks in the walls of old houses in the affected region, according to sources.

The bureau said the epicenter was at 35 degrees north latitude, 114.7 degrees east longitude.

On the same day, two aftershocks hit Gutian County in Ningde City, east China's Fujian Province, on Monday.

Fujian Provincial Seismological Observation Network monitored a minor earthquake of 4.1 on the Richter scale at 7:22 AM., with the epicenter at 118.67 degrees east longitude and 26.37 degrees north latitude.

An ensuing tremor of 2.5 on the Richter scale hit, with the epicenter slightly southwards, said the seismological service in Fujian.

Gutian was hit by two tremors last Thursday.

Two reports from the website of Fujian Provincial Earthquake Bureau said Ninghua county, also in Fujian province, was struck by two tremors on Sunday afternoon and early on Monday.

Monday's aftershocks in Gutian, which is closer to the coast than Ninghua, were felt in the coastal cities of Fuzhou, Putian and Quanzhou, said the source.

There are no immediate reports of casualties or grave damage in these areas.

The quake bureaux in Henan, Shandong and Fujian have sent experts to the quake-hit regions to carry out investigations.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2008)