The China Earthquake Administration has initiated a Level-III emergency response on Monday after an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 jolted Gaoxian County, Yibin City, southwest China's Sichuan Province.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake occurred at 00:12 Monday (Beijing Time). The epicenter was monitored at 28.50 degrees north latitude and 104.69 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 6 km.
Residents in Gaoxian County and neighboring Gongxian County reported strong tremors, with furniture visibly displaced indoors. Tremors were also felt in Yibin, and Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan.
No casualties have been reported so far, and local authorities are assessing the impact of the earthquake, said an official from Gaoxian County.
According to local fire and rescue authorities, the first group of 14 rescuers on board three vehicles has reached the epicenter at Shahe Town by 01:00. Local roads remained fully functional, and as of that time, no building collapses or trapped individuals had been found.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response.
China activates emergency response after 5.5-magnitude quake hits Sichuan
China activates emergency response after 5.5-magnitude quake hits Sichuan
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has called for accelerating efforts to advance breakthroughs in core technologies, accelerate the building of a modernized industrial system, and foster new drivers of economic growth during an inspection tour in southwest China's Sichuan Province from Thursday to Sunday.
During visits to the cities of Chengdu, Deyang and Mianyang, He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected equipment manufacturers and enterprises that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, learning about their technological innovation, foreign trade exports and project development. He also visited a land-port logistics hub to examine its operations.
He stressed the importance of leveraging the leading and driving role of major technological and engineering equipment and projects, advancing breakthroughs in key core technologies, achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, and better serving the country's major national strategies.
He also called for reinforcing the leading role of enterprises in technological innovation, promoting collaboration among industry, universities and research institutes as well as cooperation between state-owned and private enterprises, fostering competitive industrial clusters, accelerating digital and intelligent upgrading, developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions, and speeding up the building of a modernized industrial system.
He urged further efforts to unlock the potential of foreign trade by leveraging the China-Europe Railway Express and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor to support the development of inland areas as hubs of opening up and promote high-quality foreign trade growth.
He also emphasized balancing development and security, strengthening efforts to prevent and defuse risks in key sectors, and safeguarding local economic and financial stability.
He called on relevant authorities to carefully analyze common issues and practical difficulties faced by local governments and businesses, formulate targeted policy measures in a timely manner, and make every effort to sustain the country's economic recovery and growth.
Chinese vice premier urges speeding up efforts to build modernized industrial system
