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Seismic authority allays public worry over surge in large quakes

Xinhua, April 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

An official with the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) has told the public not to interpret the recent seismic activity seen in the world as creating a greater risk for China being hit.

Pan Huaiwen, director of the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), made the call at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Monday, after four above-7.0-magnitude earthquakes shook the world in eight days since April 10.

There have been 37 instances in the world where a series of earthquakes above 7.0 magnitude struck in such close succession since 1900, Pan said. Of those, only three were followed by a major quake in China.

Therefore, Pan said, this round of major quakes, statistically, has no correlation with China being subjected to greater risk.

Since 2004, earthquakes above 8.0 magnitude have been more frequent when compared to the relatively "calm period" since the 1960s. This active period will last for a while, said Jiang Haikun, a CENC forecaster. Endi