6 injured, 95,000 affected in SW China earthquake

Xinhua, August 11, 2011

Six people were injured and more than 95,000 people were affected by the 5.2-magnitude earthquake that hit southwest Yunnan Province Tuesday evening, local authorities said on Wednesday.

By Wednesday at 1 p.m., the tremor had affected 95,800 people in 34 townships in Tengchong and Longling counties as well as Longyang District in the city of Baoshan, while 581 were evacuated, according to provincial civil affairs department.

Among the six injured in the quake, two people are in serious condition and hospitalized.

A total of 22,823 residential houses and some other infrastructure facilities were damaged, while the total losses are being counted.

The quake, with a depth of 11 km, occurred around 7:50 p.m. Tuesday at the juncture area of Tengchong County and Longyang District, which is about 50 km away from the city proper, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter was located at the township of Mangbang in Tengchong, which was badly hit by another 5.2-magnitude earthquake on June 20, said a spokesman with the city's publicity department.

More than 480 people are participating in the rescue efforts. The civil affairs department has allocated two million yuan (31,160 U.S. dollars) for disaster relief.