Panic erupted here in the capital of Sichuan Province and at least one other Sichuan city on Monday after provincial television issued a warning of the possibility of a severe aftershock.
Near midnight in Chengdu, thousands of people trying to evacuate the city by car became mired in gridlock, stuck bumper to bumper in clotted streets. Other people quickly gathered blankets and rushed outside, planning to sleep on the street or in neighborhood parks.
In Mianyang, one of the areas hit hardest by last week’s earthquake, guests were evacuated from hotels, joining the masses in the streets. It was not immediately clear on what basis the warning was issued. Hundreds of aftershocks have occurred since the main earthquake on May 12, which the government now says reached a magnitude of 8.0.
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