Another moderate earthquake jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province Tuesday afternoon, the national seismological network said.

The quake, measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale, struck the border area between Shifang and Mianzhu cities at 3:22 p.m., with the epicenter at 31.5 degrees north latitude and 104.0 degrees east longitude. It occurred one hour and 42 minutes after a 4.3-magnitude quake hit the area.

The two cities were among the hardest-hit regions of the devastating 8.0-magnitude quake that shook Sichuan on May 12 last year.

There were no reports of injuries and casualties from the two cities. Communication was cut in two townships named Qingping and Tianchi in Mianzu.

Local officials said the fresh quakes could damage some houses.

A 5.6-magnitude quake hit Mianzhu early Tuesday morning at 2:03 a.m., injuring eight people and damaging more than 8,000 homes in the city.

Three very feeble shocks measuring between 3 and 4 on the Richter Scale were also reported around the region between the two moderate ones, according to the network.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2009)