7.0-magnitude earthquake hits Sichuan Province, Southwest China

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China Sichuan Jiuzhaigou earthquake
Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2017 shows a street view after earthquake near the tourist center in Jiuzhaigou County in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Jiuzhaigou County at 9:19 p.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). (Xinhua)

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Jiuzhaigou County at 9:19pm on Tuesday. Nineteen people were killed in the earthquake and 343 injured.

Jiuzhaigou is a nature reserve and national park in Sichuan Province, Southwest China. It attracts millions of tourists every year with its spectacular waterfalls and karst formations.

This area is home to many Tibetan and other ethnic minority villages, located on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau in northern Sichuan Province. Around 21,000 people are living within 20 kilometers of the epicenter.

Several aftershocks were recorded and continued to shake the affected area. Tremors were felt in the provincial capital Chengdu and Shaanxi province capital Xi’an.

The China Earthquake Administration has activated the level-I emergency response procedures. Work teams have been sent to the stricken area. The Red Cross Society of China has also launched its emergency response procedures, sending 1,000 first aid kits, 2,000 quilts and 200 tents to the area.


Video: The earthquake in Sichuan, China


Photos: 7.0-magnitude quake hits SW China’s Sichuan Province