Four sub-4.0 degree aftershocks were detected from Saturday through noon Sunday in the quake-prone area, said seismologists with the Hubei Provincial Seismology Station on Sunday, adding that the chances of an earthquake in the near future measuring five degrees or more were slim.

An earthquake measuring 4.7 degrees on the Richter scale struck Sanligang township of Suizhou city at 6:52 p.m. Friday, and another 4.2 magnitude quake shook the town again on Saturday. The two quakes affected 7,762 people and damaged 1,266 houses in Sanligang Township and in nearby Hongshan and Liulin townships, but no casualties were reported. Seismologists are in the area monitoring the situation. Local governments have allocated cotton-stuffed quilts and tents to people turned out of their homes by the quakes.

An earthquake measuring three degrees on the Richter scale hit areas near Sanligang Township on Oct. 15 this year.