At least 46 people were killed when a strong earthquake hit southwest China on Monday, government media reported, when the vibrations of violence in remote areas damaged homes and left several regions without electricity.
The magnitude of 6.6 earthquakes reached about 43 kilometers (26 miles) of Kangding City in Sichuan Province at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey.
Vibration shook buildings in the capital of Chengdu Province – where millions of people were limited to their homes under the strict locking Covid – and in the closest independence of Chongqing, local residents told AFP.
“I felt it strong enough. Some of my neighbors on the ground floor said they felt it very real,” said Chen, a Chengdu resident.
“But because Chengdu is currently under epidemic management, people are not allowed to leave their housing compounds, so many of them rush out to their yard,” he added.
At least one city suffers from “severe damage” from landslides triggered by the earthquake, CCTV reported.
A road to another city is blocked and telecommunications lines in the area of the house for more than 10,000 people are cut off, said the announcer, added that the shock also forced several power plants offline in the Garze and Ya’an areas.
Record broadcasts by CCTV seem to show damaged buildings and roads scattered with stones that fall in Garze.
A video posted online by China Earthquake Networks Center shows large stones flagging on the slopes of the mountain in Luding County, kicking dust clouds when the vibration swings the roadside telephone cable.
Government media reported that several aftershocks were recorded in the nearest area. The smaller 4.6 vibration reached East Tibet less than one hour after the initial earthquake, according to the USGS.
Hundreds of rescue workers were sent to the earthquake center, CCTV reported, in addition to footage of firefighters in trucks riding jumpsuits and navigating highways filled with stones and other debris.
Sichuan’s seismological authority said more than 1,000 soldiers had been sent to help save workers.
The authorities also send thousands of tents, blankets, and beds that can be folded to affected areas, according to the announcer.
Other government media photos show officials in military fatigue that ride shovels and other equipment along the highway – all while wearing a face mask as a Covid prevention.
President Xi Jinping called on local authority to “make life saving the first priority, going to save people in disaster areas, and minimize the loss of lives,” according to CCTV.
A Chongqing resident said the earthquake was “quite visible” and had shook lights and furniture in the fifth floor apartment.
“I’m very scared,” he told AFP, “but it doesn’t seem to bother the people here.”
Summer of extremes
Earthquakes are quite common in China, especially in southwest that are seismically active in the country.
An earthquake measuring 8.0 in 2008 in Wenchuan Sichuan Regency left tens of thousands of people killed and caused great damage.
At least four people were killed and dozens were more injured after two earthquakes in Southwest China in June.
That month a shallow 6.1-magnitude surprise hit a rare population of around 100 kilometers west of Chengdu.
It was followed three minutes later by the second earthquake of 4.5 in the nearest area, where death and injury occurred.
The authorities at Chengdu extended the lock of the city on Sunday when they fought with Covid with hundreds of cases.
This region also experienced summer with extreme weather, with heat waves that broke the river record drying in Chongqing.
