According to state-run media, an earthquake in China's southern region of Sichuan killed at least three people and wounded 60 others on Thursday.
5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Devastates Sichuan, China
In a recently published article in MSN News, local officials reported a 6.0-magnitude quake, whereas the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 5.4-magnitude quake on an 8-point scale. According to the USGS, the quake struck in the early hours of the morning, with the epicenter approximately 52 kilometers (32.3 miles) southwest of Chongqing's Yongchuan district and an initial depth of 10 kilometers.
Social media photos show damaged houses with blown-out windows and the ground outside strewn with debris, including fallen trees and stones from crumbled walls. At least 1,221 homes have fallen, with over 3,000 badly damaged.
One of the residents said, "I woke up to the tremor and saw the chandelier in my room swinging dramatically and the writing desk was shaking. It's been a long time since an earthquake of this magnitude has occurred," according to a published article in CNN News.
Chinese Authorities Launch Rescue Efforts
According to the state-run news source, Chinese officials began rescue operations in the morning, with the province administration initiating a level 2 response, the second-highest in China's four-tier earthquake emergency response system.
Luzhou City, which has a population of approximately five million people, was one of the worst affected regions. Thousands of troops and emergency personnel, as well as rescue equipment, medical supplies, improvised surgical vehicles, and heavy gear, have been sent to aid in the rescue operation. Tents have been put up in a neighboring hamlet for evacuees, according to a report published in Title Press.
Sichuan is situated in one of China's seismic belts, making it prone to earthquakes. According to one local employee in Luzhou, although locals are accustomed to earthquakes, they are typical of a lesser magnitude - and Thursday's tremor was considerably greater than ordinary.
2008 Sichuan Earthquake
A series of large earthquakes have occurred along one tectonic barrier, the Longmenshan Fault, which runs across the mountains of Sichuan. That was the location of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, commonly known as the Wenchuan earthquake.
The 7.9-magnitude earthquake, at the top of the scale, killed almost 90,000 people and produced shocks in towns more than 900 miles distant. Even ten years later, not all of the damage from the earthquake site has been rectified; and survivors informed a news source that they still carried profound scars.
The 2008 earthquake also brought to light inadequate construction standards and building rules, which were prevalent at the time as megacities were constructed at a breakneck pace amid China's economic and urban development.
Since 2008, the government has made significant investments in disaster preparation, upgrading buildings in earthquake-prone regions and conducting regular earthquake exercises for emergency personnel and students. Tens of millions of dollars have also been allocated by Beijing to the development of seismic research and satellites.
Despite the fact that authorities at the time harshly prosecuted activists and opponents who sought accountability, causing a public outcry, the government ultimately tightened rules and increased enforcement.
