China: 5.0-magnitude earthquake hits Yunnan August 13

Event

On Monday, August 13, around 02:00 (local time), an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richer scale struck Yunnan province, injuring five people. Its epicenter, with a depth of 7 km (4 mi), was located in the township of Sijie (Tonghai county; city-prefecture of Yuxi). The earthquake damaged dozens of houses and resulted in localized power and telecommunication outages. Disaster relief operations are underway.

Context

Yunnan province is prone to frequent earthquakes. In August 2014, a strong earthquake killed 400 people and destroyed more than 12,000 houses.

Advice

Individuals present in Yunnan province are advised to keep abreast of the situation, be prepared for aftershocks, and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.