Great Earthquakes In Diverse Places
China reports at least 29 injured and numerous buildings destroyed in
Yunnan Earthquake
The Associated Press
Friday, February 26, 2010; 3:40 AM
BEIJING -- At least 29 people were injured and hundreds of buildings
damaged or destroyed in an earthquake in southwestern China's Yunnan
province, reports said Friday.
Dozens of aftershocks continued to rock the area around Chuxiong
prefecture where the quake struck shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday.
Some registered as high as magnitude 5.0, equaling the strength of the
original quake, according to the prefectural government and state media.
Among structures damaged were at least 100 schools, 72 clinics and
1,446 houses. Scores of damaged buildings were being pulled down to
guard against collapse.
More than 700 soldiers were dispatched to aid the rescue. Quilts,
clothing and thousands of tents were rushed to the area, about 60 miles
(95 kilometers) northwest of the provincial capital of Kunming. More
than 3,000 people were being provided temporary shelter in tents.
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In May 2008, a massive 7.9-magnitude temblor struck Sichuan province
just north of Yunnan, leaving 90,000 dead or missing and another 5
million homeless.
Meanwhile, a magnitude-5.0 quake struck southern Tibet on Friday but
there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake hit Tingri county, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) west of
the regional capital Lhasa, at 12:42 p.m. (0442 GMT), the Tibetan
earthquake monitoring center said.
The U.S. Geological survey gave the magnitude as 5.4, enough to do
serious damage, although the area is remote and lightly populated.