A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Liuzhou, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, early Monday, leaving two people dead. Local authorities have launched a Level-III emergency response, with rescue operations by emergency, fire and police authorities underway, according to media reports on Monday.
The quake hit Liunan district at 0:21 am at a depth of eight kilometers, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the China Earthquake Networks Center.
As of 11:10 am on Monday, the last trapped victim, a 91-year-old resident, was successfully rescued from the Taiyangcun community Liunan district. Medical staff confirmed that the senior is in stable situation and has been sent to hospital for treatment, per Xinhua.
According to an earlier notice released by Liuzhou earthquake relief cener, as of 8:14 am, rescue teams extricated two trapped people at the disaster site, who were confirmed dead by medical staff. The victims have been identified as a 63-year-old man and his 53-year-old wife.
As of 4 am on Monday, 13 buildings collapsed, four people were sent to hospital with no life-threatening injuries, and over 7,000 residents were relocated. Communications, power supply, water supply, gas supply and traffic roads in the quake-hit areas are all operating normally, China Central Television (CCTV) News reported.
The office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV emergency response on Monday and sent a work team to the affected area to support local earthquake relief efforts. A total of 51 fire and rescue vehicles and 315 personnel had been dispatched to the quake-hit area.
Local authorities were required to verify casualties and damage as quickly as possible, organize search and rescue operations, evacuate the affected residents, and monitor aftershocks, according to the CCTV News.
The China Earthquake Administration also activated a Level-III emergency response after the earthquake, with relevant officials arranging emergency response work. They held video conferences with the CENC and the Guangxi earthquake administration, urging relevant departments to intensify seismic monitoring, conduct regular situation analyses, keep abreast of on-site disaster conditions and submit timely updates.
A video released by Liuzhou fire and rescue brigade showed that rescuers are searching for the missing people with life detectors, search and rescue dogs, drones and heavy machinery.
According to Chinanews.com, many local residents took shelter on streets after the quake. A local resident surnamed Liu said she was asleep when the tremor jolted her awake. “I saw the fan still shaking, got dressed and rushed downstairs right away,” Liu recalled.
Global Times
