China: Four killed, 23 injured as 5.0 magnitude earthquake hits Yunnan province

An earthquake that shook south-western China on May 18 killed nearly four people and injured another 24, according to a Chinese local media outlet. The shallow tremors in Qiaojia country struck late Monday evening and led to people taking cover in stores as boxes flew off the shelves. According to reports, the quake hit near the city of Zhaotong and registered 5.0 magnitude. 

The Chinese government reportedly said that approximately 600 rescue workers have already been sent to the disaster area. Firefighters and soldiers from the local division of the People’s Liberation Army are already combing through rubble and streets littered with fallen tiles and concrete, the Yunnan government said. 

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Several videos also surfaced on Chinese social media Twitter-like platform Weibo, in which residents were seen stepping over debris as they left buildings, and trying to avoid rocks that had fallen on roads. 

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Earthquake-prone China

According to an international media outlet, China is regularly hit by earthquakes, especially in its mountainous western and southwestern regions. Last year, a strong 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province also reportedly killed nearly 13 people and injured almost 200 people. The earthquake also damaged a large number of structures. Back in 2008, another powerful 7.9 magnitude quake also left nearly 87,000 people dead or missing. 

(Image: AP/Rep) 

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