In a highly seismic region 141 years ago, 200 square kilometres (77 square miles) of lakeshore sank under water in an earthquake that is risky.

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Geologists warn that the two earthquakes occurred on the same fault line, which may signal hyperactive seismic activity in the region, South China Morning Post reports.

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It is all the harder in the Himalayan region, with hidden underground faults that are poorly monitored by seismic instruments.

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However, campaigners pointed out that other oil and gas firms working in the region, including BP, Exxon and Rosneft, were still planning to carry out seismic work in 2009.

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In the region surrounding Youngstown in northeastern Ohio, where the boom is in full swing, seismic instruments recorded nearly a dozen small quakes in 2011, with a magnitude-4.0 tremor reported December 31.

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