By Lucy Hornby
CHENGDU, China (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of panickedresidents rushed into the streets of Chengdu in southwest Chinaearly on Tuesday, alarmed by a television report that predictedanother powerful earthquake would hit the region.
The pandemonium triggered by the TV report showed howpeople's nerves have been stretched to breaking point by theMay 12 earthquake and aftershocks which have killed more than34,000 people and injured 245,000.
Cars jammed roads leading out of Sichuan's provincialcapital Chengdu and people carrying bedding headed for openground after hearing that another earthquake of 8-magnitudewould shake the ravaged the province overnight.
"They quoted a government department, so everyone's headingfor clear space. I'd be careful if I were you," called a youngman surnamed Huang.
Xinhua news agency reported a magnitude 5.0 aftershock hitPingwu County early on Tuesday, causing buildings to creak inChengdu, about 150 km from the tremor's epicentre.
The number of dead from last week's quake, the worst to hitChina since 1976, could rise dramatically as the CommunistParty chief in Sichuan said nearly 30,000 were missing. Afurther 5,000 are believed still buried under rubble.
Most of the dead from the 7.9 magnitude earthquake were inmountainous areas north and west of Chengdu. The government putdirect economic losses in Sichuan alone at about 67 billionyuan (4.9 billion pounds).
SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS
A government official said rescuers had reached theremotest areas of the province by Monday, but roads to some 50affected towns and villages were still blocked by rocks andmudslides.
More than 200 relief workers in five vehicles were buriedby mudflows over the weekend while trying to leavequake-affected areas, Xinhua said, citing the transportministry. The death toll had not been confirmed.
There was a burst of elation in ruined Beichuan when onewoman was found alive under a mass of concrete.
But rescuers mostly had the gruesome job of recoveringdecomposing bodies. Dozens of bodies were pulled from therubble in Beichuan on Monday, and rescuers scattered lime andsplashed disinfectant to prevent disease.
Premier Wen Jiabao ordered further efforts to prevent thespread of disease.
On Monday, the Foreign Ministry appealed to theinternational community to provide more tents for about 4.8million people who lost their homes in the quake.
So far, 10.8 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) has been receivedfrom donors at home and abroad, China said.
($1=6.990 Yuan)
(Additional reporting by Chris Buckley in Beichuan and byBen Blanchard, Benjamin Kang Lim in Beijing; Writing by MatthewJones; Editing by Catherine Evans)
