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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, October 17, 2003

Earthquake kills two, injures six in southwest China

The strong earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale that struck Dayao County of southwest Yunnan Province Thursday night had killed at least two and injuredsix people as of 11:20 p.m. Thursday as the province's earthquake emergency rescue and disaster relief program was underway.


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The strong earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale that struck Dayao County of southwest Yunnan Province Thursday night had killed at least two and injured six people as of 11:20 p.m. Thursday as the province's earthquake emergency rescue and disaster relief program was underway.

Preliminary information shows more than 50 houses collapsed in the county's Liuju Township, the epicenter, burying an unknown number of people while the neighboring Tanhua Township was also seriously damaged by the tremor which shook Dayao in the Yi Ethnic Autonomous Prefecture at 8:28 p.m. Thursday.

Local officials feared the number of casualties might continue to rise as the areas were struggling to reconstruct their houses after the last earthquake hit the area this July and as the epicenter was some five kilometers underground.

It was difficult to calculate the casualties since the quake occurred at night, said Ye Libin, the prefecture chief.

All the deaths were reported in Tanhua Township, which was struck by a strong quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale earlier this July, killing 15 and injuring 294 people

Liuju Township, which neighbors Tanhua Township, is some 180 kilometers from Kunming, the provincial capital, which also felt the tremor.

Party and government leaders in the quake-hit county of Dayao urged local governments Thursday night to provide quick disaster relief to the victims.

The prefectural government summoned an urgent meeting to allocate disaster relief materials for the quake-hit areas while two medical teams consisting of more than 20 people were sent out immediately to the quake-hit areas.

Communication to the quake-hit areas has been cut off.


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