Quakes in China

On May 21, 2021, an earthquake struck Yunnan Province in China. The 6.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in Yangbi Yi Autonomous County and injured at least 21 people. Soon after, a separate earthquake hit the Qinghai Province, even deadlier at a magnitude of 7.3. According to officials, these earthquakes combined directly led to three fatalities and 28 wounded.

The first earthquake hit on Friday night, stunning Chinese citizens. The quake was considered a shallow earthquake, meaning that it occurred near the surface. In this case, it materialized only eight kilometers (five miles) below the surface. Shallow quakes are often deemed more dangerous, and the idea is reinforced by how all three deaths were a result of solely the initial earthquake. The occurrence was followed by 453 aftershocks and led to several roads collapsing, although electricity, telephones, and the internet remained unaffected.

Just a few hours later, on Saturday morning, a second earthquake struck in Qinghai, China. It developed about 1,000 kilometers north of the first, but the two were found to be unrelated. This quake did not result in any deaths due to its rural location. However, it destroyed many roads, bridges, and buildings with a total of 12,882 houses damaged. Aftershocks of the second quake continued through Sunday morning.

These areas in China are frequently at risk for earthquakes as a consequence of their location above the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Thus, this is not the first time seismic activity in China has caused both death and destruction. Just last year, a quake in Yunnan killed four people, and in 2008, nearly 90,000 were killed in China’s most destructive earthquake yet. The people of China commonly face these types of natural disasters.

To counter these two most recent earthquakes, the government in China organized relief efforts to aid affected citizens, leading off by declaring a state of emergency. They also sent a specialized unit of 16 people to Qinghai to help imperiled citizens and launch operations in Dali, a city only 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the epicenter of the Yunnan quake. Relief efforts include delivering food and tents to affected areas as well as setting up safety shelters in Qinghai. Nevertheless, more assistance is always welcome and appreciated.

Works Cited

ABC News. (2021, May 22). Earthquakes hit China’s Yunnan, Qinghai provinces, killing at least three. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-22/earthquakes-hit-china-yunnan-qinghai-provinces/100158240

Armstrong, M. (2021, May 22). Second powerful earthquake strikes in central China. euronews. https://www.euronews.com/2021/05/22/second-powerful-earthquake-strikes-in-central-china

CGTN. (2021, May 22). China hit with two earthquakes in one night, rescue operations underway. https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2021-05-22/China-hit-with-two-earthquakes-in-one-night-10syzHhCzLi/index.html

Reuters. (2021, May 22). Quake in China’s Yunnan province kills three, injures 28. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/quake-yunnan-china-kills-two-cgtn-tv-2021-05-21/

TRT World. (2021, May 22). China’s Qinghai, Yunnan provinces rattled by earthquakes. https://www.trtworld.com/asia/china-s-qinghai-yunnan-provinces-rattled-by-earthquakes-46893

U.S. News and World Report. (2021, May 22). 2 separate China quakes cause damage; 3 dead, dozens hurt. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-05-22/2-separate-china-quakes-cause-damage-3-dead-dozens-hurt