Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake Strikes Southern China’s Guangxi, 2 Dead

CHINA – A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region early Monday, leaving at least 2 people dead and 3 missing, according to local reports.

The quake hit the city of Liuzhou at 12.21 a.m. local time (1621GMT Sunday) at a depth of 8 kilometers (4.97 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that two people were killed and 3 others were missing following the earthquake, while earlier official reports said four people had been hospitalized.

Emergency, fire and police authorities launched rescue operations shortly after the quake. Guangxi’s regional earthquake relief headquarters activated a Level-III emergency response at 2 a.m.

The office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management also initiated a Level-IV emergency response and dispatched a working team to support local relief efforts.

Authorities ordered local officials to verify casualties and damage, organize evacuations and monitor possible aftershocks.

According to Xinhua, 51 fire and rescue vehicles and 315 emergency personnel were deployed to the affected area.