Residents in Yanjin, southwest China's Yunnan Province, should prepare precautions
against potential strong aftershocks, said Hu Yonglong, deputy
director of the provincial seismological bureau, on Sunday.
An earthquake measuring 5.1 degrees on the Richter scale jolted
Yanjin County, Zhaotong City, at 1:51 PM on Friday, killing
one people and injuring 31 others, including 10 seriously.
The area reported more than ten aftershocks, with the strongest
of 3.3 degrees on the Richter scale, according to the local
seismological bureau.
One more people was killed and another injured after being hit
by the rolling stones from the mountains after a 2.8 magnitude
aftershock on Sunday, said the bureau.
Hu urged local officials and residents to have damaged houses
repaired and reinforce the mountain slopes besides which the roads
and rivers run through.
Aftershocks as low as two to three degrees on the Richter scale
can even topple the damaged houses, and this is especially true in
the raining season, he added.
Yanjin County is located on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and has a
population of 350,000.
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit Yanjin and neighboring Daguan
county on July 22, killing 22 and injuring 106 people.
Yanjin is located on an earthquake belt where at least nine
major quakes have been recorded, the strongest of which was
measured at 7.1.
(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2006)