A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck south China’s Guangxi region early Monday, killing two people, leaving one person missing, and causing significant structural damage, according to state media reports.
The quake hit at 12:21 a.m. (1621 GMT) in the city of Liuzhou, as confirmed by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. The tremor resulted in the collapse of 13 buildings in the affected area.
State broadcaster CCTV identified the victims as a married couple—a 63-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman. Authorities also reported that one individual remains unaccounted for, with search and rescue operations ongoing.
In response to the disaster, officials evacuated more than 7,000 residents from the region as precautionary measures. Emergency teams have been deployed across affected zones to assist in rescue and recovery efforts.
Footage aired by CCTV showed residents rushing out of high-rise buildings as tremors shook the area, while residential zones were left scattered with rubble and collapsed structures. Rescue personnel, accompanied by search dogs, were seen carefully navigating debris fields in an effort to locate survivors. Heavy machinery, including earthmovers, was also deployed to clear wreckage and facilitate access to damaged sites.
Earthquakes are a recurring natural hazard in China due to its seismic activity zones. In January of last year, a powerful earthquake in the remote Tibet Autonomous Region killed at least 126 people and destroyed thousands of buildings, underscoring the country’s continued vulnerability to seismic disasters.
Authorities continue monitoring the situation as rescue operations proceed.