A huge 5.2-magnitude quake hit southwest China on Monday, causing panic among its inhabitants and significant structural damage in many areas.
Many buildings apparently fell after the earthquake, and emergency rescue and relief services were deployed in the region, initial reports said. The quake is said to have started in the early hours and shook nearby towns and districts. The ground shook violently for several seconds; people fled from homes and other buildings in terror.
Videos shared on social media showed broken homes, broken streets and the rubble strewn throughout those communities. Local authorities immediately sent emergency relief teams, rescuers, firefighters, police forces, and medical staff to the site of the disaster.
Rescue workers are digging under the destruction to find residents trapped inside and help quickly pull them up. Officials have yet to give a definitive tally of deaths or injuries, but the majority of those involved may have been injured during the ordeal, the reports said. Relatives of people displaced by the earthquake are said to be temporarily housed in shelters.
🆘 A strong earthquake has struck southern China
— News.Az (@news_az) May 18, 2026
At least two people have been killed by a 5.2-magnitude earthquake in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
At least 13 residential buildings collapsed as a result of seismic activity in the Liunan district of… pic.twitter.com/gDmBLtpZgU
China’s earthquake monitors said the quake, a 5.2 on the Richter scale, originated at relatively shallow ground and caused waves to surge across the surface. Similar aftershocks have also been reported in a cluster of neighbouring districts. Citizens, officials said, need to be on alert and remain removed from buildings that are in danger and stay distant from the destroyed buildings that are in danger of collapsing again.
Parts of the affected schools and public facilities were temporarily closed amid early safety inspections. Geologically, Southwest China is among the most seismically active regions in the country, which is thanks to its geological fault lines. It was struck by earthquakes that have caused significant destruction and killed many.
But emergency management officials said today that efforts are beginning to restore electricity, lines of communication and transportation services that were severed by the quake. Meanwhile, the medical aid teams are also breaking into places susceptible to experiencing casualties of the quake.
After executing an assessment for these populations, Chinese authorities will face the obligation to release detailed statistics on casualties and damage to infrastructure in China; furthermore, they will be expected to report their findings almost directly to the forum.
Chinese authorities would like to make available the most detailed information still today about the casualties suffered by people killed by the quake and ongoing reconstruction efforts, as well as information on rescue efforts in the future for emergencies in times of further emergencies. Experts have also warned that aftershocks may last for days. People were informed to adhere to official emergency instructions and safety guidance by local disaster management agencies.
