(1) Minor Earthquake Strikes near Tangshan
[CND, 04/14/98] An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale struck
just outside Tangshan at 10:47 a.m. Tuesday, AFP reports. Minor damage
was reported in Dongkuang district, but no homes were destroyed. There
were no injuries, according to Xinhua, cited by AFP.
The quake would have no major impact on nearby cities of Tangshan, Beijing,
and Tianjin, said an official from the State Seismological Bureau (SSB).
"There is little possibility of a stronger quake in the area in the near
future," he added.
The quake was along the same fault-line as the fatal tremor in 1976 that
flattened Tangshan, killing 242,000 people. The city has been completely
rebuilt using quake-resistant construction techniques and is now home to
6.9 million people.
UPI reported that SSB seismologists say Tuesday's quake was an aftershock
from the 1976 magnitude 7.8 tremor and was predicted in their monthly
forecast. (Jian-Min LI, YIN De An)