An aftershock measuring 6.0 on the Ritcher Scale jolted west China on Thursday afternoon, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The tremor hit the juncture of Ningqiang County, Shaanxi Province and Qingchuan County, Sichuan Province at 3:05 PM, with the epicenter at 32.8 degrees north latitude and 105.6 degrees east longitude, it said.

This was the third quake reported to hit the same region in 24 hours. At 3:54 AM, a quake measuring 5.6 on the Ritcher Scale battered the zone. A magnitude-4.9 aftershock jolted the same area at 1:30 PM, according to the center.

The magnitude-5.6 quake has so far killed one and injured more than 10 people, according to the Emergency Response Office of Ningqiang County Government.

The center has also monitored many aftershocks below magnitude-4.0, but no specific number is made available so far.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2008)