6.1 magnitude earthquake Magnitude on the open Richter scale that shook southwest China on Wednesday caused at least four deaths and 14 injuries According to preliminary information, search and rescue efforts are continuing. The earthquake occurred yesterday at 17.00 local time (09:00 GMT) at a depth of 17 kilometers in Lushan county of Ya’an city, Sichuan province (southwest). According to the official Xinhua news agency, both the dead and the injured lived in Baoxing County.
Approximately 300 people took shelter in the district stadium, which was established as a temporary shelter, and damage was detected in housing structures and other constructions. According to the quoted news agency, shelters have also been set up primarily in Baoshan and Lushan districts to accommodate the elderly, children, women and students.
More than 4,500 soldiers have been deployed to the affected areas emergency rescue, police, fire and medical personnel to search for the injured, repair damaged infrastructure and relocate affected residents.
The southwestern parts of China are earthquake-prone areas, and thousands of people have died in tremors in these areas in recent years. In 2013, Lushan County suffered a magnitude 7 earthquake that killed 193 people and injured 12,200.