A 5.5-magnitude earthquake rattled Yibin City in southwest China's Sichuan Province early Monday, causing minor structural damage and prompting emergency assessments.
The quake struck at 00:12 on Monday, with its epicenter located at 28.50 degrees north latitude and 104.69 degrees east longitude in Gaoxian County, at a depth of six kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
Some walls in buildings near the epicenter were damaged, and tremors were felt in regional hubs including Chengdu City and Chongqing Municipality.
The Yibin Earthquake Monitoring Center located the epicenter near Shahe Town in Gaoxian, roughly 28 kilometers from downtown Yibin.
Local authorities have begun assessing the extent of damage and conducting inspections to address potential risks. Power, water and telecommunications services remained stable after the earthquake, local public security and emergency management authorities reported.
The Sichuan Provincial Fire and Rescue Department said telephone checks with officials in the epicenter area and surrounding townships had found no reports of collapsed houses, trapped people or blocked roads as of early morning hours.
5.5-magnitude quake in Sichuan prompts emergency assessment
Rescue teams continued digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings and searching for survivors in the worst-hit state of La Guaira as the 72-hour survival window has closed three days after the devastating twin earthquakes struck Venezuela.
The two powerful quakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, hit central Venezuela less than a minute apart on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said Sunday that the death toll from the quakes had risen to 1,450. Tens of thousands are still believed to be missing.
Among the victims are eight Chinese nationals who were confirmed killed in the earthquakes as of 17:00 local time (2100 GMT) Saturday, according to the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela.
The situation is growing more desperate by the hour in Venezuela. Although the 72-hour golden window for finding survivors has passed, rescuers have been working around the clock, clinging to fading hope.
At a collapsed building in La Guaira, relatives and friends of the missing dug alongside emergency teams, desperate for any sign of their loved ones.
"The earthquake was too destructive. You can see that building, and my daughter is still in there. I have not seen her for three days. I hope she is still safe. Help came, but just too late," said Jimmy Ramirez, a local survivor.
Survivors said a birthday party was being held in the building when the quake struck.
"I saw a friend post that he needed help, so I decided to come and support him. There is hardly any chance of survival for his family, though. Despite that, we are still here, looking for his sister, her husband, and her daughter," said Carlos Ramirez, a volunteer.
The Venezuelan government has repeatedly stressed that search for survivors remains the absolute priority.
"It is catastrophic. It is very serious. It is staggering. We stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people, and we are here to help in whatever way we can," said Flavia Trindade, a rescuer from Brazil.
La Guaira, the center of the devastation, has been placed under lockdown, with military forces deployed to support rescue operations and keep emergency routes clear.
Venezuelans dig for earthquake survivors as death toll rises to 1,450
Venezuelans dig for earthquake survivors as death toll rises to 1,450
