A 5.0-magnitude aftershock jolted Pengxian County of southwest China's Sichuan Province at 3:28 PM on Monday, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.

The epicenter of the aftershock is at 31.4 degrees north latitude and 103.8 degrees east longitude in Pengxian, some 20 kilometers from the provincial capital of Chengdu, according to the center.

Xinhua reporters in Chengdu and neighboring Mianyang City said the strong tremor last for about 10 seconds.

Xinhua reporter Wang Yang in Wenchuan county seat, epicenter of the 8.0-magnitude quake on May 12, said over his cell phone that the aftershock was also felt in Wenchuan. "It is the strongest aftershock I have experienced in three days. Scared residents rushed out of shaking buildings and tents, gathering in streets," said Wang.

"The volunteer who drove us to Wenchuan also escaped from his car when the aftershock happened," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2008)