The Chinese capital will set up an additional 130 earthquake monitoring stations by the end of this year, said the Beijing Seismological Bureau, ten days after it was gently rocked by an earthquake centered in neighboring Hebei Province.
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Wu Weimin, head of the bureau, said the city already has 70 monitoring stations and the new ones will provide for more precise data collection.

Beijing will be able to determine the location, duration and magnitude of any earthquake measuring greater than four on the Richter scale in Beijing, Hebei Province and Tianjin, Wu said.

Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will also share earthquake monitoring data to improve analysis and accuracy, the official said.

An earthquake measuring 5.1 degrees on the Richter scale jolted Wen'an county, Hebei on July 4 and was clearly felt in Beijing and Tianjin. The earthquakes epicenter was located 110 kilometers from Beijing and about 80 kilometers from Tianjin.

Experts with the State Seismological Bureau (SSB) reminded citizens the importance of remaining calm and learning how to handle emergency situations. Experts also warned citizens not to believe rumors about earthquakes but to listen to information released by the government.

This month marks the 30th anniversary of an earthquake measuring 7.8 degrees on the Richter Scale that struck Tangshan city, also in Hebei Province, about 200 kilometers east of Beijing, on July 28, 1976. The earthquake killed 240,000 people, severely injured 160,000 and orphaned more than 4,000 children.

China will also commemorate those who were killed in the 1966 earthquakes that jolted Xingtai Prefecture of Hebei Province claiming 8,064 lives and injuring more than 38,000 people.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2006)