6.1-Magnitude Quake Hits Sichuan

A quake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Ritcher Scale hit Sichuan Province at 4.32 p.m. on August 1. The epicenter was located at the border between Pingwu County and Mianyang City, Beichuan County. Other cities that felt the earthquake included Chengdu, Xi'an, and Mianyang as well as Wenchuan and Dujiangyan, which were affected by the Sichuan earthquake in May.

According to the China's Earthquake Network Center, the earthquake depth was about 20 kilometers. The tremor cut communication lines at the epicenter for about two hours. At least 231 casualties were reported, according to Xinhua News Agency.

A resident with last name, Zhou, from Wenchuan told The Epoch Times that he felt a powerful shake. He wanted to learn about the situation in Pingwu County but could not find any related reports.

It is reported that the Olympic torch will visit Sichuan Province around August 3-5 before arriving in Beijing for the inauguration on August 8th.

Original article in Chinese: http://news.epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/2/n2213410.htm