About 500 firefighters were dispatched to help victims of Sichuan earthquake. (Image via: NewsBeezer)

Earthquake in China, 12 Dead 134 Injured

SICHUAN - On late Monday (17/6), an earthquake occurred outside Yibin in Sichuan Province, Southwest China. About 4,000 people had to evacuate due to the 6.0 Richter scale earthquake. Even worse, there were 4 aftershocks with the smallest magnitude being scaled 5.1. The biggest was 5.8. Yibin is a city in Sichuan Province with estimated population of over than 4.4 million people.

City Government of Sichuan stated that from the debris, they found 12 corpses and 134 injured people. 9 of the corpses were found in Changning County, and 3 were found in Qixian. Previously, the death toll was told to be 6 people.

About 10 seconds before disaster, the alarm rang to prevent any worse casualties in Yibin. Evidently, it saved up to 14 percent of the fatality rate. 7 people were saved from the debris, and at least 50 people had to be rushed to 2 hospitals to receive medical treatment.

Due to being close to epicenter of the quake, a hotel in Changning County collapsed. Nonetheless, there is no further statement regarding any victims or trapped people beneath the hotel’s debris.

Yibin’s infrastructures, including major highways, were severely damaged by the earthquake, and Xuyong County was closed.

To help the victims and to search the devastated area, Chinese government dispatched 500 firefighters, equipped with medical supplies, folding cots, and tents for the victims of the quake.

However, this was not the worst nor the first for the province to be rattled by earthquake. Sichuan Province is prone to earthquake. In 2008, a far, more powerful earthquake occurred in the province with 7.9 Richter scale, taking toll of 87.000 corpses and missing people. In February, Rongxian was rattled by earthquake, 2 people died and 12 injured.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/sichuan-earthquake-southwest-china-dead-injured-11635806