A 5.2-magnitude earthquake in South China’s Liunan District of Liuzhou early Monday morning created a panic as residents fled to safety amid tremors. The quake hit the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and has left two people dead, one missing, and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. According to the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC), the tremor hit at 12:21 a.m. local time at a relatively shallow depth of 8 kilometres.

The earthquake triggered the collapse of 13 buildings, prompting panicked local residents to flee into the streets for safety. According to the Liuzhou earthquake relief headquarters, more than 7,000 residents have been successfully evacuated and relocated to safer areas. Aside from the two confirmed fatalities, emergency officials stated that four individuals were hospitalised with injuries, though none are considered life-threatening. Despite structural damages to some buildings, state broadcaster CCTV reported that essential infrastructure—including power, water, gas, communications, and major roadways—continues to operate normally across the affected areas.

Emergency Response Mobilised

In the wake of the quake, Beijing and local governments rapidly escalated their disaster response. The Ministry of Emergency Management and the State Council activated a Level-IV emergency response, dispatching a specialised work team to guide relief efforts. The China Earthquake Administration initiated a Level-III response, ordering around-the-clock monitoring of aftershocks and coordinating real-time damage assessments via video conferences with regional teams.

A massive first-responder contingent, including 51 fire and rescue vehicles and 315 personnel, was deployed to the epicentre. Footage released by the Liuzhou fire and rescue brigade showed emergency teams utilising life detectors, search dogs, drones, and heavy machinery to comb through debris in a race to locate the single missing resident. Regional authorities have been ordered to verify casualties and assess structural integrity across the district as quickly as possible.