News Flash

A series of aftershocks rocked Sichuan-Shaanxi border in China on Thursday, with the strongest measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale – the most severe since late May, and caused one dead and several injured, according to state media.

The aftershocks hit between Qingchuan and Ningqiang, two counties located in Sichuan and Shaanxi province respectively, based on data released on the websites of China Earthquake Administration and the Sichuan Earthquake Bureau.

A 5.6-magnitude quake occurred at 3:54 in the morning, which according to the state media Xinhua had caused one 60-year-old man to die from shock, and four each injured in Qingchuan and Ningqiang.

The 6.0-magnitude shock came later in the day at 15:09. As of press time, state broadcaster CCTV reported that it had caused two injured and 200 buildings collapsed in Guangyuan city, which the Qingchuan county falls under. 

In between the two shocks measuring above 5-maginitude, there was another milder one at 4.9-magnitude that hit the same region at 13:30.

Since an 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan province on May 12, constant aftershocks had took place there almost on daily basis. However, the 6.0 shock was the strongest one registered since late May.

Latest statistics revealed that a total of 69,197 people had died in the quake, with another 374,174 injured.

The devastating quake had drawn 49.246 billion yuan in aid from the central government and 53.864 million yuan from local governments as of mid-June, according to data released by the Ministry of Finance.

Thursday appeared to be a day of shocks, as strong earthquakes also hit Japan and Russia.

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred in northeastern Japan at 00:26 local time. Japan's Kyodo News estimated that over 100 were injured in the quake.

A couple of hours later, at 05:43 Moscow time, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit Pacific Ocean off Russia's Kamchatka southern coast, Xinhua reported Thursday.