A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Chinese city of Liuzhou on Monday night. The tremors led to building collapses, the evacuation of thousands of residents, and human casualties. Rescue services continue to clear the rubble and search for missing persons.
As of 3:40 AM on Monday, three people are missing and four others have been hospitalized as a result of a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred at 12:21 AM in the city of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR, South China), local authorities reported.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the epicenter of the tremors was located at coordinates 24.38 degrees north latitude and 109.26 degrees east longitude, with a hypocenter at a depth of 8 km.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that at least thirteen buildings collapsed as a result of the earthquake. More than 7,000 residents of Liuzhou are being evacuated.
Chinese media reported that the deceased are a married couple aged 50 and 60, whose bodies were found under the rubble. Search efforts are underway for the missing person.
The GZAR earthquake relief headquarters activated a level III emergency response at 2 AM on Monday due to the earthquake in Liuzhou, according to Xinhua.
Local authorities have been instructed to quickly clarify the number of possible victims and material damage from the earthquake, to organize search and rescue operations, evacuate residents from the affected area, and to enhance monitoring of aftershocks.
A total of 51 fire and rescue vehicles and a rescue team of 315 people have been dispatched to the earthquake zone.
The State Seismological Administration of China has also activated a level III emergency response mechanism in connection with the aforementioned earthquake.
Chinese authorities continue a large-scale rescue operation in the affected region, fearing new tremors. The earthquake in Liuzhou has once again highlighted the high seismic activity in certain areas of the country and the need for prompt responses in such emergencies.
