Two men were detained by police in northwest China's Gansu Province for making a rumor about quake that had caused panic among students in a local school.

From 2:12 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on May 15, many girl students in a dormitory building at a traditional Chinese medicine school, in the provincial capital Lanzhou, received telephone calls of warning of an imminent quake in 10 minutes, said a spokesman of the provincial public security department.

The girls rushed outside in a panic, which caused a stampede on the stairs, but no one was hurt. More than 400 girls stayed on a sports ground till the school authorities pacified them and sent them back to their dormitory rooms.

The students said the calls were from a man who proclaimed be an employee of the Qilihe district government, an official of the city government, or a guard of the school.

According to police investigation, the calls were made by two men surnamed Liu and Luo respectively. They were employees of a property management company and felt bored that night when they were on duty.

The two men were currently put under custody. The case was under further investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2008)