A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Liuzhou, a city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, early Monday, leaving three people missing and four others hospitalized, local authorities said.
The quake hit Liunan District at 00:21 at a depth of eight kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). Before and after the quake, there were a total of five quakes ranging from 2.2 and 3.2 magnitudes.
As of 04:00 Monday, the quake had caused the collapse of 13 buildings, with over 7,000 residents being evacuated.
Emergency, fire and police authorities are carrying out rescue operations. Guangxi's regional earthquake relief headquarters launched a Level-III emergency response at 02:00.
The office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV emergency response and sent a work team to the affected area on Monday to support local earthquake relief efforts.
Meanwhile, local authorities were required to verify casualties and damage as quickly as possible, organize search and rescue operations, evacuate the affected residents, and monitor aftershocks.
The China Earthquake Administration also activated a Level-III emergency response after the earthquake.
Shangdeng Village in Taiyangcun Township of Liunan District is the hardest-hit area, with several buildings in the community reduced to rubbles.
Emergency responders are currently engaged in search and rescue operation amidst the debris. Authorities have confirmed that the three missing individuals are trapped under the collapsed structures.
Immediately following the quake, the regional authorities of Guangxi and the municipal authorities of Liuzhou both activated emergency responses, with a multi-agency task force assembled, including personnel from the emergency response, police, fire, natural resources, transportation, power and water supply authorities.
Current operations are focusing primarily on locating the missing individuals, while authorities have established a security cordon around the affected area, closed hazardous road sections, and implemented temporary protective measures to mitigate the risk of secondary disasters.
The seismic event also triggered a landslide along the Taiyangcun Township section of the Liuzhou beltway, blocking traffic on the vital thoroughfare and forcing vehicles to seek alternative routes.
3 missing after 5.2-magnitude earthquake hits Guangxi
