CHENGDU: Two people were killed, hundreds injured and 70,000 houses collapsed when a strong aftershock of 6.4 magnitude jolted Qingchuan county of Sichuan province yesterday afternoon.

One of the deaths was in Qingchuan, and the other in Tangxian, Shaanxi province.

"The death and injuries were reported in collapsed houses or landslides," said Wang Fei, an official with the disaster relief office in Guangyuan city, which administers Qingchuan county.

He said details of the victims were not immediately available. Some 700 people were injured in the city.

The May 12 quake killed 4,660 and injured 14,386 in Qingchuan county, according to official figures.

The strongest aftershock since the 8.0-magnitude quake of May 12 hit at 4:21 pm was felt in many parts of the province, including the capital Chengdu, said Hou Jianmin, a senior engineer with the China National Seismic Network.

"We were at a temporary office of the local government and all of a sudden, everything in the room began rocking back and forth," said a CCTV reporter in Qingchuan. "The computer almost slipped from the desk and tiles fell from the roof. Everyone panicked."

A store keeper in Mianyang city, south of Qingchuan, said his store creaked in the aftershock and everyone fled. "We couldn't even stand still," he said.

The aftershock is said to have lasted for about a minute and many high-rises in Chengdu swayed slightly.

The tremor was also felt in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, where citizens fled homes and offices to seek shelter in open spaces.

In Lueyang county of Hanzhong, Shaanxi province, the tremor caused a cave-in on a provincial highway and disrupted traffic, said the county's publicity official Chen Weiming.

Chen said no casualties had been reported, but some houses collapsed and landslides occurred.

Wen-Ban meeting

On Saturday, Premier Wen Jiabao expressed gratitude to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the organization's help in quake relief.

"Our meeting is extraordinary here in Wenchuan county, the epicenter of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12," Wen told Ban.

The UN chief arrived in Chengdu, capital of quake-stricken province, Saturday morning and rushed to Yingxiu town in Wenchuan.

Briefing Ban on relief work, Wen said that the country appreciates the efforts of the international community in offering rescuers, funds and materials to the quake zone.

Wen told reporters there that the earthquake is historically rare in terms of intensity, extent and destruction. Rescuers from all parts of the country have arrived in quake-hit areas as soon as possible and quickly started rescue and relief work.

While rescue work continues, the priority is shifting to the resettlement of survivors and reconstruction, Wen said.

On behalf of the United Nations, Ban said his heart and sympathy went out to the Chinese people; and complimented the Chinese government on the way it is handling the relief and rescue efforts.

The international community is "deeply moved and inspired" by the prompt, well-organized response to the devastating earthquake, Ban said.

Ban said his visit to Wenchuan showed that the international community stands with the Chinese people; and pledged that the UN will do its utmost to help with reconstruction.

The premier and the UN secretary-general also held an on-the-spot press conference, where Wen urged journalists to record the truth so that the dead can be remembered and survivors consoled.

"Let the world's people remember the devastating earthquake, remember the lost lives, and remember the brave fight of the people in the quake-hit regions and nationwide against the disaster," he said.

Ban also visited survivors living in tents.

A total of 15 million houses were damaged or destroyed in the quake and a large number of people are in need of shelter, said the premier, who is paying a second visit to the quake-hit Sichuan Province.

"We have collected tents nationwide and got aid from the international community, but we still need more," Wen said.

The central government has ordered domestic manufacturers to produce and transport 30,000 tents to the quake zone each day and 900,000 within a month, Wen said.

Yesterday, President Hu Jintao inspected two companies that make pre-fabricated housing in Hebei province, underscoring the importance of providing shelter to the homeless in quake areas.

The two factories he visited in Langfang have received orders to produce 19,500 pre-fab houses within a short time.

Hu thanked the factory workers and highlighted the importance of providing housing to survivors.

In Wenchuan, Wen said on Saturday that efforts should also be made to ensure no epidemic outbreak occurs.

Wen said another problem confronting relief workers is that there is still a possibility of secondary disasters, of which quake-formed lakes are the most serious.

The premier stressed that the construction materials of collapsed public buildings, including schools and hospitals, should be collected for reference in future reconstruction.

Wen expressed sincere thanks to the Chinese worldwide, including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as the leaders, governments and people of other countries for their concern, sympathy, aid and help.

"Facing such a powerful quake, we welcome international reporters to the quake zone," Wen said. "And we believe you can report the quake, its damage and the work we have done in a fair, objective and truthful way.

Aid being monitored

In another development, the central discipline and audit watchdogs have pledged to make public regularly audit results of the allocation of aid to ensure transparent and efficient relief work.

In a notice jointly issued by the central discipline watchdogs, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Audit Office on Saturday, authorities also vowed to swiftly investigate and punish those involved in corruption or misappropriation of relief aid.

Government officials responsible for delayed or loose management of aid will also be held accountable their misconduct.

Xinhua-China Daily

(China Daily 05/26/2008 page1)