2011 Yunnan earthquake

2011 Yunnan earthquake
Date 10 March 2011 (2011-03-10)
04:58:17 UTC
11:28:17 at epicenter
Magnitude 5.4 Mw[1]
Depth 10 kilometers (6.2 mi)
Epicenter
Yingjiang County, Yunnan, China
Countries or regions  China
 Burma
Casualties 26 deaths
313 injured
(133 seriously injured)[2]

The 2011 Yunnan earthquake was a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred on 10 March 2011 at 12:58 CST, with its epicenter in Yingjiang County, Yunnan, People's Republic of China, near the Burmese border.[1] A total of 26 people died and 313 were injured with 133 in serious condition.[2] China's Xinhua reports that up to seven aftershocks, measuring up to a magnitude of 4.7, followed the initial quake, which caused a total of 127,000 people to be evacuated to nearby shelters.[3] It joined over 1,000 other minor tremors that affected the region in the two preceding months.[4] Following damage surveys, officials reported that 1,039 buildings were destroyed and 4,994 more were seriously damaged.[2] The earthquake occurred one day before a much larger earthquake struck Japan that also formed a tsunami.

Contents

Damage and casualties

The epicenter was 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) from the center of the county, which has a population of more than 270,000 people and is home to several of China's ethnic minorities.[5] The state news agency reports that an estimate of 1,200 houses and apartments collapsed and that around 17,500 were severely damaged.[3] The surrounding area also suffered through power outages caused by the quake and several aftershocks.[6] It is not known if there were any casualties or damage in Burma.[6] Although there was a power outage telecommunications continued to work after the earthquake.[7] Close to 127,100 people were evacuated from Yingjiang County following the quake, which affected a total of 344,600 people.[8]

China Central Television showed damaged buildings with debris around as police officers directed traffic on a chaotic street.[9] A local reported the extent of the damage to the BBC, saying, "[half] of a supermarket building had collapsed. Three other big buildings nearby were also badly destroyed", and that "the walls of almost all the houses had collapsed."[6]

Small tremors had been occurring in this region for two months and caused damage to many local buildings. A seismologist explained that the strength of this earthquake was enough to let damaged buildings collapse.[10]

Reaction

The Chinese media reported that 5,000 tents, 10,000 quilts and nearly 1,000 troops were being sent to the area to aid the rescue efforts.[6][7] The Macao Red Cross also offered 200,000 RMB as a relief fund for the earthquake.[11] Xinhua has described the area as a "Quake Prone belt" as there have been a thousand tremors in the area in recent months.[12] There were multiple aftershocks as rescue efforts got underway by firefighters and other rescuers.[13] The Chinese government allocated 55 million yuan to relief efforts on 11 March while the Ministry of Finance gave 50 million yuan for infrastructure repair.[14] The earthquake forced the delay of a planned 180,000-kW hydroelectricity project in the Nujiang River Valley.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Magnitude 5.4 - MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION". USGS. 2011-03-10. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0001wnu.php#details. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  2. ^ a b c Yan (2011-03-22). "Death toll from SW China earthquake rises to 26". Xinhua News Agency. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-03/22/c_13790890.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-22. 
  3. ^ a b "At least 24 dead, 207 injured in SW China quake". Xinhua News Agency. 2011-03-10. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-03/10/c_13770972.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  4. ^ "Deaths reported in China quake". Al-Jazeera. 2011-03-10. http://english.aljazeera.net//news/asia-pacific/2011/03/201131071347825487.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  5. ^ Vervaeck, Armand; Daniell, James (2011-03-10). "Deaths and injuries from very dangerous earthquake in Yingjiang, Yunnan, China". Earthquake-Report. http://earthquake-report.com/2011/03/10/deaths-and-injuries-from-very-dangerous-earthquake-in-yingjiang-yunnan-china. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  6. ^ a b c d "Earthquake hits China south-west near Burma border". BBC. 2011-03-10. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12697487. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  7. ^ a b "22 killed in China quake". Times of India. 10 March 2011. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/22-killed-in-China-quake/articleshow/7671956.cms. Retrieved 11 March 2011. 
  8. ^ Liu, Yinghua (12 March 2011). "127,100 people evacuated after southwest China's earthquake". Xinhua. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-03/12/c_13774395.htm. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  9. ^ Jiang, Steven (2011-03-10). "China quake kills at least 16". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/10/china.quake/index.html?eref=edition. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  10. ^ http://nf.nfdaily.cn/nfdsb/content/2011-03/11/content_21068409.htm
  11. ^ "Macao Red Cross Offers 30,000 USD as Relief Fund for Quake-victims". Xinhua. 11 March 2011. http://english.cri.cn/6909/2011/03/11/45s625406.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  12. ^ "Deadly Quake Strikes Near China-Burma Border". 10 March 2011. 
  13. ^ "China quake kills at least 16". CNN. 10 March 2011. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/10/china.quake/?hpt=T2. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  14. ^ Qin, Qing (12 March 2011). "China allocates 50 mln yuan for infra structure repair in quake-hit Yunnan". Xinhua. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-03/12/c_13775045.htm. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  15. ^ News, ANI (12 March 2011). "Earthquake casts doubt over Chinese hydropower project". Sify news. http://www.sify.com/news/earthquake-casts-doubt-over-chinese-hydropower-project-news-international-ldmskghjbab.html. Retrieved 12 March 2011.