LOS ANGELES, June 5: The message from World Cup planners Is clear — even if an earthquake hits during the month-long tournament, the show must go on. reports Reuter.

With the January 17 Northridge quake fresh in mind and Its aftershocks still rumbling through Los Angeles, the prospect of another big earthquake striking during the World Cup is a tournament or ganiser's worst nightmare.

This is the world's biggest single sport extravaganza with a global television audience of two-billion people expected to watch the final in Pasadena.

But if a major California quake were to rock either San Francisco to the north or Los Angeles — site of the July 17 Anal — to the south, officials are prepared.

Contingency planning has been a priority since the 1989 quake that hit the baseball world series in San Francisco and the devastating Northridge quake, which claimed 60 lives and caused up to 20 billion dollars In damage in Los Angeles.

Seismologists say it is a longshot, but there is a possibility of a strong aftershock — 5.0 on the richter scale or greater — hitting southern Cal ifornia during the month from mld-June to mid-July when the World Cup will be played.

Eight games are scheduled in Los Angeles, including a semi-final, third place-play off and the final. San Francisco will host six matches, includ- ing a quarter-final.

"We've figured it out. For an aftershock from the Northeridge quake, it's an 11 percent probability," said Kate Hutton, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology

The chance of a 5.0 quake In all of southern California during that period Is 19 percent." she said. The last major aftershock — a magnitude 5.4 shaker at the end of March — caused only minor damage and left sports facilities unscathed.

But World Cup organisers have a series of plans ready in the event of a disruptive quake.

The first step is to make sure the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, near San Francisco, are safe. Both are historically quake-safe and were unscathed In the most recent quakes to hit their ar-eas.

If the venues are deemed unsafe, organisers hope to move the games to other places within the same city so that ticket holders will be able to attend.

If that's not possible, the games will be moved to other cities, depending on the availability of sites.

Organisers are still scouting out alternative venues in both cities and elsewhere, she said.

Unfortunately, the Northridge quake crippled one of the best In Los Angeles — the Coliseum, host of the 1984 Olympics. The stadium sustained more than 30 million dollars In damage and repairs are still underway.

The World Cup also presents a challenge to local disaster planners who would have to deal not only with the usual chaotic aftermath of a quake, but with thousands of visitors.

But in Los Angeles, a city with a history of disasters and of hosting big events, officials say they are used to such preparations.

Leydecker said that with thousands of foreign fans expected in California, the lan-guage barrier may pose the biggest challenge In the turmoil that inevitably follows a major quake.

So is the one-in-five prospect of a quake, something fans — from countries as far apart as Brazil and Cameroon — should be concerned about as they make their plans?

"I suppose If you have to worry about something, you could lump this in." said seismologist Hutton.