China earthquake kills hundreds in Yunan province

World Today

Earthquake in Zhaotong CityIn this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, rescuers transport injured people after an earthquake in Zhaotong City in the densely populated Ludian county in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Sunday Aug. 3, 2014. The strong earthquake in southern China’s Yunnan province toppled thousands of homes on Sunday, killing at least 175 people and injuring more than 1,400, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. (AP Photo / Xinhua, Zhang Guangyu)

An earthquake in southern China has killed at least 398 people and injured more than 1,800.

The magnitude-6.1 quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Rainstorms were expected to continue to hinder rescue efforts over the coming days. CCTV America’s Ai Yang reports.

Earthquake hits Yunnan province

The death toll from a strong earthquake in China’s southern Yunnan province has risen to at least 367. The magnitude-6.1 quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Footage from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed rescue team and military working at the quake site, looking for survivors.

About 12,000 homes collapsed in Ludian, a densely populated county located around 366 kilometers (277 miles) northeast of Yunnan’s capital, Kunming, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.

More than 2,500 troops have been dispatched to the quake zone.

Zhaotong City has dispatched more than 300 police and firefighters to the quake-hit area. The province also sent 392 rescuers and 12 sniffer dogs.

The civil affairs authorities are sending 2,000 tents, 3,000 folding beds, 3,000 quilts and 3,000 coats to the area.

In a race to save more lives, a number of non-governmental organizations (NGO), including the One Foundation, have sent rescue staff to the quake-hit area.

CCTV said the quake was the strongest to hit Yunnan in 14 years.

In 1970, a magnitude-7.7 earthquake in Yunnan killed at least 15,000 people, and a magnitude-7.1 quake in the province killed more than 1,400 in 1974. In September 2012, 81 people died and 821 were injured in a series of quakes in the Yunnan region.

In May 2008, a powerful quake in Sichuan province left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing.

Report compiled with information from CCTV News and The Associated Press.