Thousands of panic-stricken people stayed out in the open overnight in the quake-ravaged Sichuan province after a government warning about a strong aftershock, as China struggled to find shelters for some 50 lakh rendered homeless in the worst natural calamity in three decades. The stories of miraculous survivals meanwhile continued to pour in with rescue workers pulling out a 31-year-old man, who spent 179 hours under the rubble of a power plant. Thousands of people spent the night in cars or slept in the open in Sichuan's capital of Chengdu after a warning on the provincial government website, quoting seismological authorities. It said that a strong aftershock of 6 to 7 magnitude would strike the area battered by last week's 7.9 magnitude temblor. Giant traffic jams developed as drivers headed towards the suburbs or the open spaces like parks and stadiums. China has been hit by more than 150 aftershocks measuring 4 or higher, including one overnight that measured 5. The warning of the powerful aftershock also hit the stock market, contributing to a nearly 4.5 per cent drop in share prices, reports said. The state media has said the May 12 earthquake was likely to trim 0.2 percentage points off China's economic growth. The confirmed death toll in Sichuan province alone rose to 39,577, vice-governor Li Chengyun told reporters. Another 32,361 persons remained missing across the quake zone. The government was setting up temporary housing for quake victims, but there was a "desperate need for tents' to accommodate them, said Jiang Li, vice-minister of civil affairs. Five million people lost their homes in the quake, she said.