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At least 14 killed in Yunnan earthquake

At least 14 people were killed and 157 others injured after a 5.8-magnitude quake jolted Yingjiang County in southwest China's Yunnan Province today.

The county government updated the figures at about 3:55 pm while officials continue to verify casualties.

Many houses collapsed in the quake that hit the county near the border with Myanmar at 12:58 pm Beijing Time.

The tremor triggered a power outage but telecommunication service remained normal in Yingjiang, according to Wei Gang, head of the county government.

More than 400 soldiers have been sent to join the rescue operation.

Photos spreading on webpages showed buildings collapsed, houses cracked, and vehicles damaged by falling debris.

The county, sitting on an earthquake-prone belt, has suffered about 1,200 minor tremors over the past two months.

Four quakes measuring more than 5 degrees on the Richter Scale have jolted the county, about 700 kilometers to the west of Kunming, capital of Yunnan, since 1900, said Chen Jianmin, director of China Earthquake Administration.

Today's quake is believed to cause more serious damage and loss than previous tremors, said Chen.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10 kilometers, was monitored at 24.7 degrees north latitude and 97.9 degrees east longitude, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter is in Shiming village, about 2 kilometers away from the county seat. The tremor was felt by a number of adjacent counties including Longchuan, Lianghe and Tengchong.

Three aftershocks, measuring up to 4.7 degrees on the Richter Scale, jolted the county within 10 minutes of the first tremor.

Provincial governor Qin Guangrong called upon relevant authorities to effectively investigate casualties and economic losses, save injured people and evacuate disaster-hit residents.

The provincial disaster-relief and civil affairs authorities have launched an emergency response plan.

The National Committee of Disaster Reduction and Ministry of Civil Affairs have dispatched more than 8,000 tents, quilts, clothes and other materials to the quake-hit region.

State-level and provincial authorities have dispatched working groups to Yingjiang.



 

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