MIANYANG, China - A strong aftershock struck China's quake-battered Sichuan province Thursday, as rising water levels in a lake caused by landslides in the massive May 12 temblor forced evacuations from downstream areas.

There were no immediate reports of new damage or injuries caused by the 5.3 magnitude aftershock. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that it struck at 12:41 p.m. (12:41 a.m. EDT) just south of the town of Qingchuan at the relatively shallow depth of 6 miles.

There have been some touching little stories related to the Sichuan earthquake that wouldn't be covered by the mainstream media. Here I'd like to share a few here

The Chinese government’s decision to allow the seemingly unrestricted flow of information out of Sichuan this week in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake has surprised many. However, the general assumption that the Chinese government ‘all of the sudden’ decided to pursue a policy of transparency and openess is incorrect. This decision was in fact made last year when the State...

An additional first-hand account of the Sichuan quake from a English-language Chengdu blogger, KMM. "But even though I’m convinced staying in the fifth floor of my apartment is perfectly safe, I’ve moved back outside, sitting in the grass, because damn it when the floor keeps moving under your feet, it doesn’t matter how much you know your safe, you still feel you better get out as fast as possible."