China earthquake: Two dead and dozens of homes flattened after 6.0-magnitude tremor

At least two people were killed and dozens were injured after an earthquake struck southwest China’s Sichuan province early on Thursday, according to state media reports.

The earthquake’s magnitude was recorded at 6.0, the report added. The tremors were reported at 4.33 am on Thursday morning in Luxian county at a depth of 10km (6 miles), Xinhua news agency reported.

The epicentre of the earthquake was located about 200km (120 miles) southeast of Chengdu, the provincial capital.

Preliminary reports showed 60 people have been injured, out of which 3 are seriously injured and at least 35 houses have crumbled in the affected region, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

A level-1 emergency response was launched by officials in Luzhou city, while the authorities in Sichuan’s earthquake relief headquarters launched the second-highest emergency response. China has a four-tier emergency response system.

Nearly 3,000 people have been mobilised for the rescue efforts, and accommodation tents have been set up for residents who are being evacuated from a village in the county’s Fuji Township.

Telecommunication base stations and cables in the area have also been damaged due to the tremors, Xinhua reported.

The railway authorities have shut down Luzhou’s high-speed railway station in response to the quake.

All coal mines in the area have also been asked to stop underground operations and evacuate miners in shafts, the report added.

The earthquake occurred in the fracture zone of Huaying Mountain, deputy head of the Sichuan earthquake administration Zhang Zhiwei said.

A more serious earthquake is not expected to follow up in the affected region but experts have asked people to look out for aftershocks.

An earthquake-prone zone, western China witnesses frequent tremors.

Sichuan saw another 6.0 magnitude earthquake in June 2019 which killed 12 and injured 134. And in 2008 a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in the province left 87,000 dead or untraceable.

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