Lixian, Sichuan, May 16th - At 1:30 PM on the 16th, Lixian experienced another aftershock with a strong tremor felt in the county town. The Party Committee guesthouse where the Xinhua News Agency reporters were located began to tilt during the quake. Nearby, the Party Committee's residential building tilted at a 60-degree angle and then slowly collapsed. Smoke rose from the surrounding mountains as boulders tumbled down. The newly restored wireless signal and Unicom telecommunications signals were once again completely interrupted. Many of the fleeing residents were seen crying.
Four Xinhua news reporters got separated. The reporters and the people trapped in the guesthouse managed to escape after knocking down a wall. By the time this report was filed, the county town of Lixian had experienced yet another aftershock.