'Moderate' quake hits China

Chinese state media said a moderate earthquake rocked southwest China today, injuring at least 336 people and collapsing 10,000…

Chinese state media said a moderate earthquake rocked southwest China today, injuring at least 336 people and collapsing 10,000 homes.

The earthquake struck the Chu Xiong prefecture in Yunnan province, China Newsreported today on its website, citing the country's quake agency.

The Xinhua News Agency said the magnitude-6.0 quake centred in Yunnan province’s Yao’an county struck earlier this evening and damaged another 30,000 homes.

It said the quake was followed by eight aftershocks.

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Xinhua said the provincial civil affairs department was sending 4,500 tents, 3,000 quilts and other relief materials to Yao’an. It said hundreds of police were dispatched to the disaster zone.

On May 12th, 2008, an earthquake in Sichuan province left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing and five million homeless after the magnitude-7.9 tremor.

The earthquake, the deadliest to hit China in decades - toppled or buried villages, snapped bridges and razed large portions of Sichuan and two neighboring provinces.

Agencies