A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck China’s southern Guangxi region early Monday, killing two people and causing multiple buildings to collapse, according to state media.
The quake hit Liuzhou city at about 12:21am local time, state news agency Xinhua reported, with authorities confirming that one person was still missing as rescue operations continued.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV identified the victims as a 63-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman believed to be a couple.
Officials said more than 7,000 residents had been evacuated from affected areas following the earthquake.
Videos aired by CCTV showed frightened residents rushing out of high-rise buildings after the tremor, while several homes were reduced to rubble.
Emergency responders and rescue dogs were seen searching through collapsed structures for survivors as heavy equipment cleared debris from damaged buildings.
Authorities confirmed that at least 13 buildings collapsed during the quake.
China frequently experiences earthquakes due to its geographical location and seismic activity.
In January, a powerful earthquake in Tibet killed at least 126 people and left thousands of buildings damaged.
AFP
