Guangdong earthquake teams cross border to assist Guangxi relief effort

The Guangdong Earthquake Agency dispatched two teams consisting of 11 experts and rescuers to Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, within hours of a magnitude 5.2 earthquake striking the city at 12:21 am Monday, as the province moved quickly to support relief operations across the border.

The teams departed at 3 am and reached the epicenter area by 9 am, where they began assessing disaster losses in Liuzhou's Liunan district.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 8 kilometers, with its epicenter in Taiyangcun town, 16 kilometers away from downtown Liuzhou, according to the Guangxi Earthquake Administration. Two people had been killed, according to Xinhua News Agency. Tremors were felt across Liuzhou, Guigang, Wuzhou, Hechi, Nanning and other nearby cities.

As of 4 am, 13 buildings had collapsed in affected areas, and more than 7,000 residents had been evacuated. Basic public services, including communications, power, water, gas supply, and road transport, remained operational.