Powerful aftershock kills 1 in China; 260 hurt

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Associated Press

CHENGDU, China - One of the most powerful aftershocks to hit quake-ravaged central China leveled many more homes and killed a person, leaving dozens more injured Sunday, as soldiers carrying explosives hiked to a blocked-off river to alleviate the threat of floods.

Some 260 people were injured in the aftershock Sunday afternoon, the government-run China News Service said, with 24 in serious condition. The agency said many homes had collapsed and roads were damaged, but gave no specific figures.

The magnitude 5.8 aftershock was among the most powerful recorded since the initial May 12 quake, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The China National Seismic Network, which uses a different measurement system, said the aftershock was the strongest of dozens.

The aftershock caused office towers to sway in Beijing, 800 miles away.

Earlier Sunday, the Cabinet said the confirmed death toll from the quake rose to 62,664, with another 23,775 people missing. Premier Wen Jiabao has said the number of dead could surpass 80,000.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080525/ap_on_re_as/china_earthquake

[borelord]

1. hmmm

I don't admittedly ignorant about seismic events, but is there a reason china keeps getting knocked around? Are they normally earthquake prone?

[shraby]

2. Yes, China is known for powerful quakes.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. It's on a fault and it's obviously not settled again yet.

This is common after a large earthquake.

[Robbien]

4. China aftershock (Sunday) destroyed 71,000 homes; soldiers with explosives rush to unblock river

Source: AP

CHENGDU, China (AP) - A powerful aftershock destroyed tens of thousands of homes in central China, causing hundreds of new casualties Sunday and straining recovery efforts from the country's worst earthquake in three decades. Soldiers rushed with explosives to unblock a debris-clogged river threatening to flood homeless quake survivors.

The fresh devastation came after a magnitude 5.8 aftershock that struck at 4:21 p.m. (0821 GMT) Sunday. The China National Seismic Network said the aftershock was the strongest of dozens in the nearly two weeks after the disaster.

The new tremor killed one person and injured more than 400, 28 seriously, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Some 71,000 homes that had survived the original quake were leveled, and another 200,000 were in danger of collapse from the aftershock that caused office towers to sway in Beijing, 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) away.

. . .

Previous landslides loosened by the quake jammed rivers across the disaster area, creating 35 new lakes that placed 700,000 survivors in jeopardy of floods. The biggest concern was the new Tangjiashan lake in Beichuan county, where some 1,600 police and soldiers were hiking with 22 pounds (10 kilograms) of explosives each to blast through debris, according to Xinhua.

Hazy weather prevented helicopter flights to the area, and forecasts for rain increased the risk that lakes could overflow.



Read more: http://www.pr-inside.com/china-aftershock-destroyed-71-000-homes-r607468.htm

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A rather lengthy article (at least compared to the usual AP sketchy stuff) which gives good detail of the devastation and how people are coping.

Best wishes to the Chinese people.

[Haole Girl]

5. That's seems very strong for an aftershock!

:scared:

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. yeah...that's what I was thinking

altho I have been in a few quakes, anything over 4 will rock your boat for sure.

My brother is visiting in China, has been e-mailing, but no mail for 3 days, so my fingers are crossed. He picked a bad time to visit...I have no idea where he is in relation to quakes...

[morningglory]

7. News that a great many miners are trapped in mines in China. So sad... nt

[superconnected]

8. Pat Robertson must be utterly stumped.

He can't come on the news and say it's because they allow gays.