Expert reiterates calm after second Tangshan aftershock

A minor earthquake of 3.2 magnitude was felt Tuesday in north China's Tangshan, following a 4.8-magnitude tremor that hit the city on Monday.

"Both quakes are aftershocks of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which are normal geological activities, and the Tangshan area remains in a stable condition," said Jiang Haikun, vice director of the China Earthquake Networks Center forecast department.

The center's vice director, Zhang Xiaodong, made similar remarks on Monday, after this week's first quake shook the area and nearby national capital Beijing.

Jiang said aftershocks may happen days, years or even hundreds of years after an strong earthquake.

The two incidents, although not strong, have aroused people's memory of the devastating 7.8-magnitude Tangshan quake that left more than 240,000 people dead in 1976.

Some netizens have questioned whether the area is becoming more active in regard of geological activity, indicating a possible repeat disaster.

But Jiang cautioned, "According to the center's statistics, the occurrence of earthquakes monitored at or above 4 magnitude has kept decreasing after 1976."

From 1990 to 1999, 118 aftershocks ranging from 3 to 5.9 magnitude occurred in Tangshan, compared with only 74 between 2000 and 2011. "Generally speaking, the intensity of these aftershocks has also become weaker and weaker," he said.

Jiang urged the public not to believe or spread the online rumors, adding that only quake-related information published by the State Council and governments at all levels can be trusted.