China Earthquake - What happened on May 21st and 22nd?

Earthquakes in China do not come completely unexpected, because the country has a long history with earthquakes that are harming buildings, animals and humans. Nevertheless last weekend China was hit again by the dangerous power of nature.

How many and how strong were these earthquakes?

On the 21st of May at 21:48 China Standard Time (CST) an earthquake with a strength of 6,1 on the moment magnitude scale hit the region Yunnan in China. The epicentre was 10,0 km under the surface of the Dali city, which is why it's named the “Dali earthquake”. The reason for this earthquake is probably the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Only a few hours later a second earthquake hits Madoi county at 2:04 CST with a strength of 7,3 on the Moment Magnitude scale. The epicentre was 10,0 km under the Qinghai province in China. This earthquake, known as the “Maduro earthquakes”, was also the strongest since 2008.

Which damage was incurred by the earthquakes?

The Dail earthquake caused 3 deaths and 32 injured persons. Seven of the injured persons are seriously injured. Furthermore, 12.882 buildings in Yangbi county were damaged by the earthquake and rockfalls are blocking some streets. The Maduro earthquake caused no deaths, but 17 injured humans. At least 625 buildings were damaged and some bridges collapsed. Also, the major street was damaged seriously by the earthquake. More than 20.000 people were taken away from the region by the regional government.

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