A powerful earthquake jolted China's southern Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people, bringing down over a dozen buildings and sending thousands fleeing into the streets in panic, China's state news agency Xinhua reported.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, the magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the city, with its epicentre in Taiyangcun Town, Liunan District of Liuzhou city, at a shallow depth of approximately 8 kilometres.
The timing — in the early hours of the morning when most residents were asleep — made it all the more dangerous.
Tremors were felt across multiple cities including Liuzhou, Guilin, Guigang, Wuzhou, Hechi, Nanning and Laibin, with state media reporting that street-front self-built houses collapsed, leaving some residents briefly trapped, China's Dimsum Daily reported.
Thirteen buildings collapsed in the early hours, two people were confirmed dead, one remains missing, and four were hospitalised, though none with life-threatening injuries, according to state broadcaster CCTV and state news agency Xinhua. Over 7,000 residents were evacuated from Liuzhou as rescue teams worked through the night.
The Liuzhou Anti-Seismic and Disaster Relief Command initiated a Level-III emergency response, mobilising four fire and rescue vehicles and 30 personnel to the collapse sites, with an additional 80 responders deployed to expand search and relief operations, the report said.
The Ministry of Emergency Management also activated a Level-IV national emergency response and dispatched a work team to the affected area.
Railway authorities flagged transport disruptions as they inspected the integrity of rail infrastructure in the region, though state media reported that communication lines, power, water, gas supply and road traffic in the broader affected area were operating normally.
Guangxi is not among China's most seismically active regions, though earthquakes can still occur along regional fault systems in southern China.
Authorities said they were monitoring the situation closely for potential aftershocks.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.