Death toll from powerful aftershock rises to 6 in China

CHENGDU, China (CNN) - A strong aftershock Sunday killed at least six people, injured about 1,000 others and destroyed more than 70,000 homes in China's Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces - still reeling from a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake on May 12, Chinese media reported.

The worst damage occurred in Sichuan, which has experienced thousands of aftershocks over the past two weeks, but Sunday's - which the U.S. Geological Survey measured at a 6.0 magnitude - was the strongest since a 5.8-magnitude tremor shook the region a day after the initial quake.

Shaanxi experienced the highest death toll as a result of the aftershock, with four people losing their lives. One each died in Sichuan and Gansu.

The aftershock damaged more than 200,000 other homes, according to state media. It also damaged another dam, cutting off several more roads in the region.

Mudslides and rockslides caused by the quake and aftershocks created a lake to form in southwest Sichuan. Authorities are worried that the barriers could burst and cause massive flooding, the Xinhua news agency said.