7.0-magnitude earthquake hits SW China's Sichuan

Residents gather outside their apartments to avoid aftershocks of the earthquake in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Lushan county of Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 a.m. Saturday Beijing Time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter, with a depth of 13 km, was monitored at 30.3 degrees north latitude and 103.0 degrees east longitude. As per initial reports, 56 people are reported dead and about 600 injured, reports VOA.

The quake was strongly felt by residents in Sichuan's capital city of Chengdu, which is about 140 kilometers from Ya'an.

A resident in Chengdu, who was on the 13th floor of a building when the quake occurred, said he felt the building shaking for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall off nearby buildings.

(via Xinhua News)
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Posted in: Calamities, China, Earthquake, News