Earthquake hits southwest China; thousands evacuate, buildings collapse
Rescue workers walk past a damaged building following an earthquake at Taiyang village in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China on May 18.
PHOTO: Reuters
BEIJING — A magnitude 5.2 earthquake in China's southwest region of Guangxi early on Monday (May 18) killed two and forced more than 7,000 in the city of Liuzhou to evacuate as search and rescue operations continue and authorities warn of transport disruptions.
There were two confirmed deaths with one still missing, and four people were sent to the hospital, although none of them had life-threatening injuries, CCTV and state news agency Xinhua said.
@asiaone A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Liuzhou City in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region early in the morning of May 18. The earthquake has caused multiple buildings to collapse and thousands to be evacuated. #news #Asia #China #Guangxi #Earthquake ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
13 buildings collapsed in the early hours of Monday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Transportation disruptions were also flagged by railway authorities as they inspected the integrity of rail line infrastructure.
Communication and power lines, water and gas supply, and traffic in the affected area were operating normally, state media reported.
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