A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck Lushan County in China’s southwestern Sichuan Province on Wednesday, shaking the region and triggering swift safety responses. The tremor occurred at 5:00 p.m. local time, followed by a magnitude-4.5 aftershock minutes later in nearby Baoxing County.
Exclusive footage from CGTN showed residents in Taiping Town, Lushan County, gathering in open spaces as a precautionary measure. Social media posts highlighted immediate community solidarity, with neighbors checking on vulnerable individuals and sharing emergency supplies.
Sichuan, a region prone to seismic activity due to its location on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, activated emergency protocols within minutes. Transportation authorities halted high-speed rail services temporarily for safety inspections, while local hospitals reported no major injuries as of Wednesday evening.
“Safety remains our top priority,” said a spokesperson for the Sichuan Provincial Emergency Management Department, adding that damage assessments and relief coordination were underway. The quake occurred near the same fault line linked to a deadly 2013 tremor that claimed over 200 lives.
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Residents take shelter outdoors after M6.1 earthquake hits SW China
cgtn.com
