Two recent earthquakes in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous
Region did no damage to the world's highest railway, which is more
than 1,000 kilometers from the epicenters, the local government has
said.
An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale shook border
areas between Rutog and Gerze in Ngari Prefecture in western Tibet
on Saturday afternoon.
On Monday, a quake measuring 5.6 jolted Tuoba Township in Qamdo
Prefecture in the east.
No casualties have so far been reported because the quake-hit
areas are remote, sparsely populated areas with relatively poor
communications.
Experts with the regional meteorological bureau said the
quake-hit areas were too far away to pose any threat to the
Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's most elevated plateau railway
that became operational last July.
But Monday's quake was likely to affect traffic on an
interprovincial highway linking Tibet to neighboring Sichuan
province, said Zhu Quan, head of the bureau.
"Investigators are still assessing damage to the Sichuan-Tibet
Highway, whose northern section crosses the quake-hit area," said
Zhu.
Though this part of the highway is not as busy as the southern
section, Zhu said many tourists and adventurers prefer the
seclusion and quietness of this route. "They need to be careful
because landslides and falling rocks are a real possibility."
The regional government has sent investigators to assess damage
and the meteorological bureau is closely monitoring
aftershocks.
Tibet is one of the most earthquake-prone areas in China. Since
records began in 1900, the region has on average suffered one to
three strong quakes a year measuring over 6 on the Richter scale
and another six measuring between 5 and 6.
In one of the world's strongest recorded earthquakes which hit
Zayu County in southwestern Tibet in 1950, thousands of people
died.
(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2007)