Society

Myanmar quakes injure 12 in China, 9,500 relocated

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-30 20:14

KUNMING- The 7.2-magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks in Myanmar injured 12 residents in southwest China's Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border.

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Another 9,496 people were relocated as of Tuesday night in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture after the massive quake hit Myanmar last Thursday which was followed by 22 aftershocks up to or over 4.0 magnitude as of Monday, according to the prefecture government.

More than 15,300 rooms were damaged in the counties of Menghai and Mengla as well as in the city of Jinghong. The quakes also damaged more than 130 reservoirs or dams, 35 bridges and 75 roads.

The epicenter of the largest quake, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale, was monitored 40 km away from China-Myanmar border, and 90 km away from Menghai County, according to the prefecture's earthquake bureau.

Xishuangbanna Dai is located in the southern corner of Yunnan Province, bordering Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. It is one of China's major tourism sites for its natural beauty. According to its travel bureau, the tourism industry has not been affected by the earthquake, instead it is up seven percent from the same period last year.