Strong aftershock hits northern China

BEIJING -- A strong aftershock hit the Xinjiang region of northwestern China on Tuesday, little more than a week after an earthquake struck the area and killed at least 268 people, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. No new casualties were immediately reported.

The aftershock, measuring 5.2 magnitude, hit at 8:27 a.m., Xinhua reported. It said the aftershock hit the neighboring counties of Jiashi and Bachu, both of which were hit hard by the quake on Feb. 24.

More than 2,000 people were injured in last week's quake. Thousands of mud-brick houses were flattened.

Liu Xinping, an official working at the earthquake relief command center in Xinjiang's Jiashi County, said he felt a strong tremor Tuesday morning. Reached by telephone, he said he knew of no new injuries in the disaster area.