A massive frog migration took place in the city situated in the vicinity of the epicenter of the devastating earthquake that hit southwestern China on Monday, several days before the disaster struck.
          
The authorities announced today the casualty figure might reach 50,000.
           
The unusual movement of frogs that overwhelmed the streets of Mianyang by the end of the last week, triggered numerous blogger comments, who recognized an omen to the earthquake in the phenomena.
           
However the New China agency cited a statement of a scientist who rejected these claims.
           
"The anomalies among the animals may be triggered by numerous reasons. The earthquake is just one possibility, there are also the climate changes and the atmospheric conditions," a member of the Chinese Institute for Seismology Research said.
           
Senior citizens who were interviewed by the local paper had said that the frog migration is an omen to disaster.
           
The phenomenon caused laughter among the younger population, and those prone to cracking jokes commented that the frogs took to the streets to welcome the Olympic Torch