Another Earthquake Hits China’s Southwest Province, Quick Response Issued

The Yunnan Province of Southwest China was hit on Tuesday by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, making it the second earthquake they’ve experienced in just two months. According to an article previously published by The Inquisitr, this would also make it the fourth earthquake to hit the Province in about a year. According to Xiinhua News, the earthquake occurred at 9:49 p.m.

The epicenter of the Yunnan earthquake was located approximately 100 miles north-northwest of Yunjinghong in a remote, mountainous region known as Jinggu County. Shaking from the earthquake was also reportedly felt in the urban areas — in Yunnan’s Capital, Kunming, as well as other major cities surrounding it. The County is home to some 300,000 people, mainly ethnic minorities. According to reports made by the Earthquake Report, up until Wednesday morning, there were two deaths and 324 were injured, a stark contrast to the more than 600 casualties experienced in August when another earthquake hit the Province.

The Situation

Several news sites have been giving steady updates of events as they are happening on site, painting a clear picture of the crisis on the ground. The topography of the area — being mountainous — has left it prone to landslides. People Daily reported that Chen Xianhe, the person heading the rescue team in Yunnan, stated that they came across rocks and small-scale landslides but were relieved that there was no massive collapse of buildings as a result of the earthquake. This may have been so but just minutes later the EarthquakeReport published that 6,508 houses were severely damaged and 2,169 had collapsed in Jinggu County, where the epicenter of the earthquake was located. Also reported are more than 30 aftershocks, damage to 36 bridges, damage to roads, a multitude of landslides and breach to a reservoir that can potentially affect up to 13,000 people.

The Response

The Chinese response to the earthquake crisis has been swift. The People Daily has released that the Yunnan Province has initiated the Class I emergency response, the highest response level used to deal with an emergency. In the Inquisitr article covering the August earthquake that also affected the Yunnan Province, it was reported that 2,500 soldiers were sent to assist in the aftermath of the quake while the Red Cross supplied 2,000 tents, 3,000 folding beds, 3,000 quilts, and 3,000 coats. This was for an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 which left more than 600 people dead. It has been just hours after the earthquake hit Yunnan and up until 18:15 UTC 10,600 tents, 11,000 quilts, 11,000 coats, 10,000 clothes and 10,000 sets have been delivered to the affected areas (The Earthquake Report).