14 dead as quake topples buildings in China

Beijing, March 10, 2011



Witnesses reported that people were buried under debris from buildings damaged by the quake, which was centred in Yunnan province's Yingjiang county, the official Xinhua News Agency said.



An earthquake toppled houses and damaged a hotel and supermarket in China's extreme southwest near the border with Myanmar on Thursday, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 150, officials and state media said.



Witnesses reported that people were buried under debris from buildings damaged by the quake, which was centred in Yunnan province's Yingjiang county, the official Xinhua News Agency said.



The website of the Chinese government earthquake monitoring station said the magnitude—5.8 quake struck just before 1 p.m. (0500 GMT) at a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers). The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 5.4 and at a deeper 21 miles (35 kilometers).



At least 14 people were killed and 157 other people were hurt, said Ren Xueli, an official with the Yunnan Disaster Relief Centre.



Another official on duty at the centre, Gao Shaotang, said many houses had been toppled. Xinhua said the army was sending soldiers to the site for rescue efforts.



The epicentre was in Shiming Village, just over a mile (kilometer) from the county seat, but triggered a power outage across Yingjiang, Xinhua said.



The mountainous area lies 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) southwest of Beijing, close to the border with Myanmar.



The Myanmar Meteorological Department released a statement saying a quake had hit some 230 miles (370 kilometers) northeast of Mandalay, the country's second—largest city.



The statement did not mention injuries, damage or the specific area of Myanmar most affected by the quake. The part of Myanmar that borders Yunnan province stretches through Myanmar's north-eastern Shan state, with scattered border towns between stretches of mountainous terrain.


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