As of midday Tuesday, 159 aftershocks measuring above 4 on the Richter scale had been monitored in southwestern Sichuan Province, according to the China Seismological Bureau in Beijing on Tuesday.

Among them, 26 aftershocks measured above magnitude 5, 4 above magnitude 6, says the Bureau.

A devastating earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale rocked southwest China on May 12, leading to the death of more than 34,000 people.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2008)