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| The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Luding county in Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Southwest China’s Sichuan province at 12:52 p.m. on September 5, killing 65 people. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
A strong earthquake shook a mountainous, steep-sloped area in southwestern China on Monday, resulting in the loss of at least 65 lives and injuries to over 250 individuals, with 12 people reported missing as of Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son of Vietnam expressed their condolences to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, respectively.
The earthquake, initially estimated to be a 6.6 magnitude by the China Earthquake Networks Center, was later revised to have a magnitude of 6.8. The epicenter was located in Luding County, a remote area with a significant Tibetan population in Sichuan Province, near the borders with Tibet and Yunnan Province. The shallow depth of the earthquake, about 10 miles below the Earth’s surface, contributed to its destructive impact.
One of the victims was a graduate student at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ alpine ecosystems research station, which is located near the epicenter. The academy reported that three others were injured and 14 were unharmed. The province has evacuated 50,000 people and deployed 6,500 relief workers to assist in the aftermath of the quake. A landslide has also occurred, blocking a tributary of the Dadu River.
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| Chinese rescuers carry an injured civilian who was found after the September 5 earthquake – Photo: AFP |
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| The aftermath of a 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Hailuogou, China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Sept 5, 2022. PHOTO: AFP |
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Luding county in Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Southwest China’s Sichuan province at 12:52 p.m. on September 5, resulting in the death of 65 people, as reported by the China Earthquake Networks Centre. As of 7 a.m. on September 6, 12 people were missing and 170 were found injured in Ganzi, including 56 seriously injured.
