Less than four months since a 7.9 earthquake in northern Sichuan killed nearly 70,000 people and left five million homeless, another earthquake hit the area on August 30, this time in the southwestern part of the province.
Saturday’s quake, close to the Yunnan border, measured 6.1 in magnitude (according tomost news report; the USGS reports it as 5.7) and killed 24 people. Relief efforts have been hampered by heavy rains and the region’s rugged terrain
According to New Scientist Environment, the area had been considered at low risk for quakes, and in the wake of the May earthquake geologists have realized their hazard maps must have serious shortcomings. A coalition of geologists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Chengdu Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Sichuan, now say that similar regions may also be in danger and that seismic hazard maps should be redrawn.
In a sad irony, the article, dated August 30, also states that “For Sichuan province, they calculate that the next big earthquake is not due for at least 2000 years..”
Sources:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
http://www.washingtontimes.com/
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/
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