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| A collapsed building in Yunnan province |
Chinese authorities say an earthquake hit south-west China near the border with Burma around noon on Thursday, 10th March.
The US Geological Survey said the 5.4 magnitude earthquake was centered about 250 km southwest of Dali in Yunnan province and about 350 km northeast of the Burmese city of Mandalay. They said the quake occurred at a depth of about 35 km, but Chinese reports said the depth was only 10 km. Chinese state media put the quake's magnitude slightly higher, at 5.8, according to Voice of America.
China's official Xinhua news agency described the geology of the area as a quake-prone belt and has seen more than 1,000 tremors in recent months. There were several aftershocks, which caused power outages in the county.
Reports coming out of China say that at least 25 people have been killed and more than 250 injured. Xinhua has reported that over 1,000 homes have collapsed, with thousands more seriously damanged. Most of the damage came near the Burmese border.
Rescue operations are underway, and the National Committee of Disaster Reduction, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Yunnan's provincial government have all already sent emergency materials to the region.
A statement from the Myanmar Meteorological Department said that an earthquake had struck, but gave no further information.
Sources: BBC, Voice of America, Xinhua
For more information, see the Menas Borders website, here.
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