Southwest China earthquake collapses homes, kills at least 3
An earthquake destroyed houses, killed at least three people and injured dozens Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan province.
Rescue work was underway following the magnitude-6.0 earthquake.
It struck at 4:33 a.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) in Luxian, a county in the city of Luzhou, the official Xinhua News Agency said. State broadcaster CCTV said 88 people were injured, three seriously, and that 35 houses had collapsed.
The epicenter was about 200 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Chengdu, the provincial capital.
Xinhua reported that collapsed walls and houses could be seen on the way to the epicenter, and that electricity had been suspended in much of Jiaming town. Residents could be seen cleaning up.
Rescue workers were going door-to-door in heavy rain searching for people in damaged homes in Fuji town to move them to temporary shelters, Xinhua said. Workers distributed mooncakes, a traditional treat for the next week's Mid-Autumn Festival, and other food at one shelter.
Lai Jianrong, a Fuji resident, told Xinhua that she felt a mild tremor around 4 a.m. and ran out barefoot in her nightgown when the tremors became intense. "Some bricks fell off the wall and I didn't dare to go in again," the agency quoted her as saying.
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In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, residents injured in the aftermath of an earthquake get treated at the Luxian People's Hospital in Luxian County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. An earthquake collapsed homes, killed some and injured others Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan province, state media reported. Credit: Gu Youcong/Xinhua via AP -
In this image made from video run by China's CCTV, rescuers search for survivors at a damaged house following an earthquake in Luxian County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Rescue work was underway following the magnitude-6.0 earthquake.Credit: CCTV via AP -
In this photo provided by Qiu Xin, people sweep up debris in the hallway of an office building after an earthquake in Luzhou in southwestern China's Sichuan Province, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Rescue work was underway following a magnitude-6.0 earthquake early Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan province. Credit: Qiu Xin via AP -
In this photo provided by Qiu Xin, damaged sinks and plumbing fixtures are seen in a bathroom of an office building after an earthquake in Luzhou in southwestern China's Sichuan Province, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Rescue work was underway following a magnitude-6.0 earthquake early Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan province. Credit: Qiu Xin via AP -
In this photo provided by Qiu Xin, cracks are seen the walls of an office building after an earthquake in Luzhou in southwestern China's Sichuan Province, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Rescue work was underway following a magnitude-6.0 earthquake early Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan province. Credit: Qiu Xin via AP
More than 3,200 people have been moved to 79 shelters, CCTV said.
Western China is regularly hit by earthquakes. A magnitude-7.9 quake in May 2008 left nearly 90,000 people dead in Sichuan, many of them in collapsed schools and other poorly constructed buildings.
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