Buildings collapse after magnitude 5.0 earthquake strikes southern China

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake in southern China caused several buildings to collapse and left some people missing, according to officials and local media reports. The earthquake struck near the city of Liuzhou.

The earthquake struck at 12:21 a.m. local time on Sunday and was centered 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Liuzhou, in China’s Guangxi region, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). China’s seismological agency put the magnitude at 5.2, with a shallow depth of 5 miles (8 kilometers).

Strong shaking was reported in Liuzhou, a city of more than 4 million people, and surrounding areas, according to local media.

About a dozen structures collapsed after the earthquake, trapping and injuring several people, according to Xinhua news agency. Reports cited by the agency said three people were missing.

Emergency personnel were sent to the epicenter area to support earthquake relief efforts, Xinhua reported, citing officials.

Guangxi is not among China’s most seismically active regions, but earthquakes can still occur along regional fault systems in southern China. Stronger and more destructive earthquakes are more common farther west, including in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.