A Deadly Earthquake Hit Southwest China

A deadly earthquake hit southwest China’s Yunnan province on August 3, 2014, over 600 people died, some 12,000 homes were destroyed and 30,000 others damaged in the quake. Tens of thousands of people have been relocated from structurally unsafe houses. Some roads were destroyed and some villages remain cut off. The epicenter of the quake was recorded in Longtoushan Township, 23 kilometers (14 miles) southwest of Zhaotong, and tremors were felt almost 200 miles away. Hundreds of aftershocks were recorded following the initial tremor. Poor weather conditions and the aftershocks hampered rescue efforts.