Beijing, July 10: A moderate earthquake in southwestern China has led to the collapse of more than 10,000 homes, damaged more than 30,000 buildings and injured hundreds, state media and seismologists said.
The epicentre of the quake was in Guantun, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, said official news agency, citing the China Earthquake Networks Centre.
According to the US Geological Survey, the 5.5 magnitude quake struck at 7:19 pm (1119 GMT) at a depth of 54 kilometres and was centred 98 kilometres east-northeast of Dali in Yunnan province on Thursday.
Initial reports from the news agency did not indicate any deaths as a result of the quake, but said more than 300 people were injured.
Thirty people with serious injuries were being treated at the People’s Hospital of Yao’an.
Around 30,000 buildings were also damaged, the agency said, citing local officials.
The authorities in Yunnan dispatched thousands of tents, quilts and other aid supplies to a nearby relief agency
headquarters, the report said, with more than 600 police officers sent to the quake zone.
Up to eight smaller aftershocks occurred after the initial quake, the agency said.
–Agencies