2011 Yunnan earthquake

2011 Yunnan earthquake
Date 10 March 2011
04:58:17 UTC
11:28:17 at epicenter
Magnitude 5.4 Mw[1]
Depth 10 kilometers (6.2 mi)
Epicenter 24°42′36″N 97°59′38″E / 24.710°N 97.994°ECoordinates: 24°42′36″N 97°59′38″E / 24.710°N 97.994°E
Yingjiang County, Yunnan, China
Areas affected 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.

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]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Magnitude 5.4 - MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION". USGS. 2011-03-10. Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Yan (2011-03-22). "Death toll from SW China earthquake rises to 26". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "At least 24 dead, 207 injured in SW China quake". Xinhua News Agency. 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  4. ↑ "Deaths reported in China quake". Al-Jazeera. 2011-03-10. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. 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. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Earthquake hits China south-west near Burma border". BBC. 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "22 killed in China quake". Times of India. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  8. ↑ Liu, Yinghua (12 March 2011). "127,100 people evacuated after southwest China's earthquake". Xinhua. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  9. ↑ Jiang, Steven (2011-03-10). "China quake kills at least 16". CNN. 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. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  12. ↑ "Deadly Quake Strikes Near China-Burma Border". 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  13. ↑ "China quake kills at least 16". CNN. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  14. ↑ Qin, Qing (12 March 2011). "China allocates 50 mln yuan for infra structure repair in quake-hit Yunnan". Xinhua. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  15. ↑ News, ANI (12 March 2011). "Earthquake casts doubt over Chinese hydropower project". Sify news. Retrieved 12 March 2011.