In the 24 hours ended at noon on Friday, 174 aftershocks were detected in southwest China's quake zone, according to the Information Office of the State Council (cabinet).

There were two aftershocks measuring between 4.0 and 4.9 on the Richter scale, while 172 measured below magnitude 3.9.

No aftershocks above magnitude 5 were monitored during the 24 hours, the office said, adding that 9,304 aftershocks have been monitored since May 12. when the major quake struck.

Among all the aftershocks monitored, 159 measured between 4.0 and 4.9 with 25 put at 5- to 5.9-magnitude and five above 6-magnitude.

The strongest aftershock, of 6.4-magnitude, was in Qingchuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 4:21 p.m. on Sunday.

China Seismological Bureau teams have set up observation stations to continuously monitor diastrophism (deformations in the Earth's crust) and gravitational anomalies within the quake zone.

(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2008)