Frequent aftershocks jolt Central China

BADONG, Hubei - Frequent aftershocks have jolted a mountainous county in Central China's Hubei province after it was hit by a 5.1-magnitude earthquake Monday afternoon, local quake-relief headquarters said on Tuesday.

As of 2 pm Tuesday, a total of 27,286 people from six townships in Badong County had been affected by the earthquake and the following 71 aftershocks, the headquarters said.

The quake hit the county in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture at 1:04 p.m. Monday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter, with a depth of 5 km, was located at 31.1 degrees north latitude and 110.4 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement.

The quake and aftershocks have left 96 homes toppled and 2,556 others seriously damaged as of 3 pm Tuesday, resulting in overall economic losses of 30.15 million yuan ($5 million).

Three people were injured and no deaths have been reported from the quake so far.