MOSCOW, April 27 (RIA Novosti) - Authorities of the quake-hit region in southwest China's Sichuan Province put in place an emergency response plan fearing secondary natural disasters such as landslides, Xinhua news agency reported.
The 7.0-magnitude quake struck the Lushan county of Sichuan's Ya'an city last Saturday morning killing some 200 people and destroying about 126,000 houses.
According to Qian Jiangpeng, chief engineer of Sichuan Institute of Geological Engineering Investigation, the quake caused many cracks on the ground and amassed rocks on edges of cliffs.
“Those rocks and soil will be dangerous for people and buildings under the mountain in case of heavy rain or a strong aftershock,” Qian was quoted by the agency as saying.
According to the agency, over 400 experts were currently evaluating possible secondary risks in the areas affected by the quake.
The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs reported earlier that the quake impacted at least 1.99 million people in Sichuan. Over 3,200 aftershocks have been detected, with the biggest one registering at 5.9 magnitude.
