A 5,8-magnitude earthquake hit south-west China on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, close to the area devastated by a massive tremor in May that left nearly 70 000 dead.
The latest quake struck the border region of Sichuan and Gansu provinces at 8.32am GMT, not far from an area hit by three tremors one week ago that killed one person and injured at least 17.
Friday’s quake took place 69km north of Mianyang, which was severely hit by the 8,0-magnitude quake on May 12, at a depth of 10km.
Twenty-six people were injured in Friday’s tremor, including three seriously, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing a local government official. All the injured had been hospitalised.
The quake caused severe landslides and tonnes of falling rock in the north of Sichuan on a route that leads to Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou, two popular tourist spots, Xinhua reported.
Along that route in Pingwu county, 540 homes were destroyed and 2 450 others damaged, Meng Xiancai of the county’s press department told Xinhua.
Residents in the area ran out into the road after the quake.
”I thought another ‘May 12’ earthquake occurred,” a person identified only by the surname Zhang told Xinhua.
Residents along the route were evacuated and excavating machines were clearing up the sites, Xinhua said. — Sapa-AFP