A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Liuzhou city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, causing multiple buildings to collapse. Reports confirm at least two deaths, one person missing, and four injured. Authorities are urgently searching for those trapped under rubble and have evacuated over 7,000 residents from high-risk areas.
The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) detected the magnitude 5.2 earthquake at 00:21 local time on Monday, 18 May 2024 GMT+7. The epicenter was located in Liunan District, Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China, with a shallow depth of only 8 kilometers. Additionally, five aftershocks ranging from magnitude 2.2 to 3.2 occurred before and after the main quake.
Local authorities reported updated information at 04:00 on Monday that the strong tremors caused at least 13 houses to collapse. For safety, officials have evacuated more than 7,000 residents from the affected areas to secure locations.
The hardest-hit area is Changdeng Village in Taiyangchun Township, Liunan District, where many community buildings crumbled instantly into piles of bricks and stones.
Regarding casualties, four injured individuals are currently receiving hospital treatment. At least two people have died, and one remains missing, confirmed trapped under collapsed buildings. Rescue teams, firefighters, and police are intensively searching the debris, racing against time.
Shortly after the earthquake, Guangxi's Regional Earthquake Relief Office raised the emergency response to Level 3 at 02:00. The China Earthquake Administration also elevated its response to Level 3. Meanwhile, the State Council Earthquake Relief Commission and China's Ministry of Emergency Management jointly activated a Level 4 national emergency response plan and promptly dispatched expert teams to support local rescue operations.
Beyond damage to buildings, the earthquake triggered landslides that blocked the Liuzhou ring highway near Taiyangchun Township. This caused a complete closure of the main route, forcing all vehicles to use detours.
Currently, Liuzhou local authorities and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have formed a joint task force composed of emergency management, police, firefighters, natural resources, transportation, electricity, and water supply agencies to control the situation.
The primary mission now is locating and rescuing the three missing persons. Authorities have cordoned off dangerous zones, closed roads in risk areas, and implemented temporary preventive measures to reduce the chance of secondary disasters from potential aftershocks. They are also urgently assessing the damage and the number of injured.
Source: CCTV