Chinese man pulled to safety eight days after quake

By Lucy Hornby

CHENGDU, China (Reuters) - A 31-year-old Chinese executive was pulled alive from the rubble of a power plant on Tuesday, eight days after a massive quake struck southwestern China and killed an estimated 50,000.

Ma Yuanjiang was rescued in Wenchuan county, epicentre of the May 12 quake in mountainous Sichuan province, after 179 hours buried in the rubble, state media said.

His rescue came as China tried to restore calm in the provincial capital, Chengdu, after tens of thousands rushed into the streets alarmed by a television prediction of another powerful earthquake.

That, along with fresh aftershocks and forecasts of heavy rain, compounded the difficulties for military, government and private workers trying to ensure food and housing for millions of homeless.

Chengdu residents rushed from their homes before midnight on Monday, alarmed by the prediction of another earthquake after the 7.9 magnitude tremor on May 12.

A few hours later, a 5-magnitude aftershock rattled windows and is believed to have caused more landslides on the roads leading to Pingwu, the epicentre of the aftershock, where destroyed roads have hampered relief efforts.

But on Tuesday, provincial television broadcast interviews with a series of seismologic bureau officials to explain the prediction and calm a jangled populace.

"Just because you can feel aftershocks, it doesn't mean they will hurt you. Of course, that doesn't mean you should stand in harm's way," said Han Weiding, researcher with the local seismological bureau.