BEIJING: A low 5.4-magnitude quake struck eastern part of China in the early hours of Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, with Chinese media reporting at least 21 people wounded and dozens of buildings destroyed.
Area inhabitants posted video footages on social media showing trembling ground, shaking light fixtures, and people evacuating their homes.
Citing Shandong local officials, state-run broadcaster CCTV reported 10 people were injured and 126 houses had “collapsed” due to quake.
China’s Ministry for Emergency Management Affairs initiated a level four emergency response and also dispatched a team to Shandong region to lead the rescue work, Xinhua reported.
Quake Hits China
The USGS said that the quake struck at 2:33 am, hit 26 km south of the city of Dezhou in Shandong, China. It added that the depth of the quake was 10 kilometers.
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 5.5 – 28 km S of Dezhou, China https://t.co/aATJrp5kLw
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) August 5, 2023
The quake was also felt in Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin around 800 km from the epi-centre. A person said that he could not say anything except that it was scary.
Quakes are not uncommon in China but it is rare in the eastern part of the country where most of the population and major cities are located, AFP reported.
