(Yicai Global) Aug. 10 -- Nuclear facilities in the earthquake-stricken area of China's southwestern Sichuan province are safe and under control; no casualties or abnormal radiation have been detected, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan's Jiuzhaigou County on Aug. 8 and was followed by a 6.6-magnitude tremor in northwestern Xinjiang province on Aug. 9.

The ministry ordered offices in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang provinces to check and control potential environmental risks arising from the quakes; conduct more frequent inspections of surface water quality; enhance monitoring of drinking water sources and keep an eye on possible water pollution resulting from the tremors, it said. The MEP also ordered nuclear and radiation supervisory stations in southwest and northwest China to monitor radiation levels.

No secondary environmental accidents have occurred in the affected regions, and no significant changes in environmental risks have been detected, the ministry said, apart from damage to water pipelines and networks at waste-water treatment plants in Jiuzhaigou where efforts to repair facilities are already underway.