A seismological official in Sichuan has dismissed rumors that another strong earthquake would strike southwest China on Wednesday or Thursday.

"Such rumors are groundless," said Deng Changwen, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Seismological Bureau, on Wednesday. "The bureau has not found signs of another massive quake according to the monitoring results, nor has it issued such a forecast," Deng said.

The rumors sent many in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, into a panic. Some companies in the city gave staff time off and some schools allowed pupils to go home.

In addition, the China Seismological Bureau (CSB) and the Gansu Provincial Seismological Bureau have dismissed another rumor that soon, a strong aftershock will hit northwest China's Gansu Province.

A text message circulated since Sunday saying that an aftershock of 7 to 8-magnitude will occur in Luotang Township, Longnan City in Gansu and the local government was discussing the evacuation of residents.

An official with the CSB told Xinhua that the bureau had never made any such forecast.

Wang Lanmin, head of the Gansu Provincial Seismological Bureau, confirmed that he had received that message, and he stated that the provincial bureau had never published such information either.

People here are in stable condition, and local officials are leading the quake relief work in an orderly manner, said Guo Yuhu, the mayor of Longnan City.

Longnan City reported one death, caused by falling rocks, and 109 injuries (15 serious) during the 6.4-magnitude aftershock on Sunday.

The 8.0-magnitude quake centered in Sichuan's Wenchuan County on May 12 has left 68,109 people dead, 364,552 injured and 19,851 missing as of Wednesday at noon.

Sichuan has recorded more than 8,900 aftershocks after the devastating quake, with the strongest measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale.

In terms of the intensity and scope of destruction, the May 12 quake is believed to have surpassed the 7.8-magnitude quake in 1976 in Tangshan, northern Hebei Province, which claimed more than 240,000 lives.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2008)