Lead-zinc mine areas around Chengxian County in southeast Gansu Province have stopped production due to a magnitude-8.0 earthquake in the neighboring Sichuan Province on May 12, China Securities Journal reported.

   The output of the mining areas accounts for about 20 percent of China's total.

   Changba Mine, the largest lead-zinc mine area affected by the earthquake, has closed all its wells, losing two million to three million yuan everyday.

   Zhang Lin with the Bijiashan lead-zinc mine area said many mining tunnels and equipment were damaged. Zhang expected the daily output to be resumed in about a half-month.