Thousands panic over aftershock threat

CHENGDU, China, May 19 (UPI) -- Thousands of residents of Chengdu in China's quake-stricken Sichuan province attempted to flee the city late Monday because of an aftershock warning.

The region was hit by a massive earthquake one week ago. The government now says that quake measured 8 on the open-ended Richter scale and left at least 34,073 people dead with tens of thousands more injured, buried or missing. The death toll is projected to reach 50,000.

The panic began after a television station warned of the possibility of another strong aftershock, The New York Times reported. Cars were stuck in gridlock as thousands attempted to flee Chengdu. Others set up camp outdoors in parks or in the street to be away from buildings in the event of another tremor.