One dead in China quake aftershock: officials

Officials say a worker repairing cables after China's earthquake is killed in one of the series of strong aftershocks measuring 5.9-magnitude.

A worker repairing cables after China's earthquake was killed in one of the series of strong aftershocks, officials said on Saturday.

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The worker, 36-year-old Liu Jianqiu, was hit by rocks during a 5.9-magnitude aftershock on Friday, the government of Sichuan province's Aba prefecture said in a statement.

The same aftershock cut off roads, buried vehicles and snapped telecommunications that had just been restored.

Officials estimate that Monday's 7.9-magnitude earthquake killed more than 50,000 people. The confirmed death toll is 28,881.

Southwestern China has been rattled by 145 aftershocks of 4.0 or higher on the Richter scale since the initial strong tremor, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency, causing new fears among the millions of homeless.