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Earthquake kills 2, injures over 150 in Yunnan
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-11 09:10 At least two people were killed and over 150
injured when a strong earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted the
quake-prone Ludian County in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Tuesday.
More casualties and losses are expected, vice governor of Yunnan Province,
Kong Chuizhu said.
The quake struck the area at 6:26 p.m, Beijing time.
According to the Chinese seismological monitoring network, the epicentre of
the quake is located at 27.2 degrees north latitude, 103.6 degrees east
longitude, some 255 km north of Kunming, capital of the province.
The epicentre was at Taoyuan Township. Nearby, Wenping Township, Yongfeng
Township, Ciyuan Township and Shouwang Township were also shaken.
Among the affected areas, Wenping Township and Yongfeng Township were most
seriously destroyed due to the dense population, said Huang Ling, an official
with Zhaotong City.
Local hospitals in Ludian County have been overwhelmed by injured patients
and some have to be treated in the courtyards.
After the natural disaster, the province, city and county governments have
launched emergency programmes and organised several task forces to rescue and
help the affected people.
A group of 34 seismologists have been dispatched by China Seismological
Bureau from Beijing and are expected to arrive on Wednesday.
It was the third major earthquake to hit the Ludian County within a year. Two
earthquakes measuring 5.1 and 5.0 on the Richter scale hit the county on
November 15 and 26, 2003. Four people were killed and 120 were injured in the
two previous earthquakes.
Ludian County, located in the east of Yunnan Province, is among China's
poorest counties with a population of 370,000.
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