An elderly person was reported dead
following the 5.1-magnitude earthquake that hit Lindian County in
northeast China's Heilongjiang Province at 11:43 PM on Monday. 12
others have been injured and about 1,100 homes damaged, the
province's seismological bureau reported.
About 2,500 people in the area have
been evacuated.
The deceased was an 81-year-old man
who had a stroke.
No serious damage was reported at
the nearby Daqing Oilfield, China's largest oil-producing
base.
The seismological bureau placed the
epicenter 10 kilometers below the earth's surface.
"At least 30 aftershocks were
reported through to the later part of the morning," said Zheng
Jilie, head of the seismological bureau.
"We've been keeping an eye on the
potential for an earthquake in Daqing for years, but our technology
is incapable of predicting where and when such a quake will
occur."
Shock waves were felt as far away as
Harbin, the provincial capital, about 180 kilometers to the
east.
By last night, about 2,540 people
had been evacuated from the most affected areas, a source for the
Ministry of Civil Affairs said.
About 1,140 roofs collapsed or were
damaged in the disaster's worst hit areas including Huayuan
Township, the source said.
About 100 tents have been sent to
house those rendered homeless.
(China Daily July 27,
2005)
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