Sichuan takes precautions against secondary disasters after quake

CHENGDU -- Five towns in Gongxian County, in the city of Yibin in southwest China's Sichuan Province, are reported to face possible geological hazards after an earthquake jolted the region at 8:48 am Thursday, according to local emergency officials.

One person was slightly injured and no death has been reported as of 2:30 pm after the 5.3-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 15 km.

774 villagers have been affected by the quake and 691 houses of 271 families in Gongxian have been damaged.

The weather report predicts rain and snow in the high-altitude region in Gongxian County on Tuesday night and light rain in the morning from Jan 4 to Jan 6.

The Sichuan Earthquake Administration has sent daily necessities to the quake-hit region and continues to relocate villagers. A working team has been dispatched to assist with disaster relief efforts.

Major roads in the county were not affected, and telecommunications and the power supply in the quake-affected region have remained undisturbed.

As of 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, 41 aftershocks, all below 3.0-magnitude, were monitored in the region.