Between these big earthquakes, thousands of small tremors have shaken this area almost every day.

"I am used to slight earthquakes and feeling the chair shake in my office," said Wang Jinrong, the county's spokesman.

But, on May 12, Wang said the force of the quake threw him to his office door, belongings were scattered on the floor and the windows were smashed.

And then all of his colleagues dashed from the third floor to the open air.

Luckily, the office building has not collapsed.

Before communications between the county and the outside world were restored last week, the only way the local government could get information out was by getting messengers to walk around 150 km.

"As we are on the earthquake belt, it's very easy to encounter aftershocks," said county rescue headquarters head Chen Xianhui.

More than 150 aftershocks measuring 4 or above on the Richter scale have hit the county since the May 12 quake, with some surpassing magnitude 6.

"These have caused more landslides and road closures," Chen said.

"And if it rains and more aftershocks happen, our situation will get even worse."

(China Daily May 26, 2008)