A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck south China’s Guangxi region on Monday, killing at least two people and causing widespread damage, according to state media reports.
The quake hit Liuzhou city in Guangxi at around 12:21 am (1621 GMT), the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Authorities confirmed that 13 buildings collapsed following the tremor, while one person remains missing as search and rescue operations continue.
State broadcaster China Central Television identified the victims as a 63-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, reportedly a couple.
Rescue teams have been deployed to the affected areas, where emergency workers are combing through rubble with search dogs and heavy machinery in an effort to locate survivors.
Authorities also said more than 7,000 residents were evacuated from vulnerable areas shortly after the quake struck.
Footage broadcast by CCTV showed residents fleeing high-rise buildings as aftershocks shook the region, while damaged homes and piles of debris were visible across affected neighbourhoods.
Earthquakes are relatively frequent in China due to the country’s geological fault lines. In recent years, several deadly quakes have caused significant casualties and infrastructure damage.
In January last year, a major earthquake in Tibet killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes, underscoring the ongoing seismic risk in parts of the country.
Emergency response efforts in Guangxi are expected to continue as authorities assess the full extent of the damage and search for the missing person.
