A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred in Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China in the early morning of May 18, leaving 3 people missing and 4 hospitalized.
According to the China Earthquake Network Center, the earthquake occurred at 0:21 am in Liunan County, with an epicenter depth of 8km.
Rescue, firefighting and police forces quickly deployed search and rescue operations in the affected area. The Guangxi government activated the level III emergency response mechanism at 2 am.
The China State Council Earthquake Rescue Coordination Office and the Ministry of Emergency Management also activated a level IV response mechanism and sent a working group to the scene to support the locality.
Authorities requested urgent verification of casualties and damage, organized evacuation of people, and monitored the risk of aftershocks.
A total of 51 rescue vehicles and 315 personnel were dispatched to the earthquake area.
About 7,000 people in Liuzhou city had to evacuate after the earthquake. China Central Television (CCTV) said 13 buildings collapsed in the first hours after the earthquake.
The Chinese railway authority warned of the risk of traffic disruption when conducting railway infrastructure inspections in the affected area.
State media reported that communication, electricity, water supply, gas and transportation systems in the area are still operating normally.
