By Xinhua,
Kunming (China) : More than 300 people were injured and over 30,000 houses were damaged in an earthquake that hit China’s Yunnan Province Thursday evening, authorities said. The quake measured 6.0 on the Richter scale.
Thirty people suffered severe injuries, said the quake-relief headquarters in Yao’an County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The injured were being treated at the People’s Hospital of Yao’an.
More than 10,000 houses collapsed and more than 30,000 others were damaged in six counties in Chuxiong, according to the latest figure.
The quake struck at 7.19 p.m., at a depth of about 10 km, with the epicentre in the county’s Guantun township, about 200 km from the provincial city of Kunming, said the China Earthquake Networks Centre.
The quake was followed by eight aftershocks measuring 3 to 4.1 on the Richter scale, three centred in Yao’an and the other five centred in the neighbouring Dayao County.
The latest aftershock occurred at 11.09 p.m. in Yao’an.
Tents, medicines and food were distributed to residents in Guantun township.
Residents of Yao’an county seat, about 16 km from Guantun, gathered outdoors fearing more aftershocks.
Strong tremors were felt in Chuxiong, Lijiang City, Kunming and Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.
Two teams, one headed by the Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong, and another from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the National Commission for Disaster Reduction and China Earthquake Administration, rushed to the site.