Special Report: Reconstruction After Earthquake

    CHENGDU, March 12 (Xinhua) -- An aftershock measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale hit southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday afternoon, according to the provincial seismological monitoring network.

    The aftershock jolted Qingchuan County, Guangyuan City, at 4:25p.m. with the epicenter in Quhe township at 32.4 degrees north latitude and 105.0 degrees east longitude.

    The tremor lasted for about 15 seconds in the county seat area, said Ma Jian, publicity chief of the county.

    Cell phone signals were cut off in Quhe and workers were trying to restore service. A work team of the county government was en route to the scene to investigate, according to Ma.

    No casualties have been reported in the county.

    People in the provincial capital of Chengdu felt the tremor for about five seconds, but there was no panic.

    The tremor is considered to be one of the many aftershocks to the May 12 quake last year, in which Qingchuan was one of the worst-hit areas. Last year's quake left more than 80,000 people dead or missing.

    That quake was centered in Wenchuan, another county in Sichuan.

    Qingchuan alone has registered nearly 1,600 aftershocks from Jan. 1 to March 8 this year, including eight strong tremors, according to the county's earthquake prevention and disaster control bureau.