Residents describe Sunday's quake, recount memories of 1976 tragedy

Sunday's incident was a reminder of previous occurrences, especially the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Tangshan in 1976, killing more than 240,000 people and injuring over 160,000.

"That quake left me with bad memories," said Wang, who was 14 years old at the time.

The disaster, which buried Wang, her two younger brothers and younger sister, destroyed the family's house, which was built from clay.

"We were fortunate. My father dug us out from the ruins, and we weren't injured. But if the houses built today collapse, nobody will get out alive," she said.

Since 1976, people in Tangshan, including Wang, have witnessed many smaller quakes. "We are experienced in them," she said.

Sunday's quake was an aftershock from the 1976 disaster, Liu Jie, deputy head of the China Earthquake Networks Center, said on Sunday, adding that another quake of more than 5 magnitude was unlikely to occur in the area in the short term.

Several groups of government teams were sent to check if anyone had been killed or injured on Sunday. The teams also inspected properties for damage.

Wang Tong, a firefighter in Guye district, said he and his colleagues arrived at the epicenter at about 7 am on Sunday.

He was among some 20 firefighters sent to homes in the area to carry out thorough checks for damage and also to see if there were casualties.

"We visited each household one by one to see if anyone was injured and if walls were cracked," Wang Tong said, adding that firefighters checked 297 households in the epicenter, mainly in villages.

"I was relieved after finding that there had been no serious damage," he said.

Wang Tong added that he had been worried initially, as it was only the second time he had joined a team for earthquake rescue work in his 20 years' service.

The first time was last year, when Tangshan was hit by a smaller quake. "Sunday's quake was stronger than that one, and I was worried there might be injuries," he said.