A total of 243 aftershocks were monitored in quake-affected zones between Tuesday noon and Wednesday noon, according to the China Seismological Bureau.

The aftershocks included a magnitude 5.7 tremor centering on Ningqiang County of northwest China's Shaanxi Province at 4:37 PM Tuesday, and a magnitude 5.4 jolt which struck Qingchuan County of Sichuan Province around 4:03 PM Tuesday.

They also included three aftershocks measured above magnitude 4, and 238 very feeble shocks below magnitude 3.9, sources with the bureau said.

As of Wednesday noon, 8,911 aftershocks had been monitored in the quake-hit areas, according to the bureau.

A devastating earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale rocked Wenchuan County of Sichuan on May 12, leading to 68,109 deaths nationwide as of Wednesday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2008)