Yunnan Earthquake Leaves One Dead, 220 Injured

Quake Hit Yunnan Province

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One person died and 220 were injured in Saturday's earthquake that jolted Yongsheng County and affected other two counties in Yunnan Province, southwest China, an official said Sunday night.

Li Hanbai, vice-governor of Yunnan, revealed that direct economic losses caused by the earthquake have amounted to 440 million yuan (53 million U.S. dollars).

The earthquake, which measured 6.0 on the Richter Scale, affected more than 200,000 people, with over 20,000 people in three worst-stricken counties need to be relocated.

The official said that the casualties were relatively not heavy for such a severe earthquake because it occurred in daytime. However, many infrastructure facilities were badly damaged.

A total of 101 aftershocks have taken place so far, most of which happened in impoverished mountain areas, said Li.

He said 600,000 yuan (nearly 70,000 U.S. dollars) in disaster relief funds have been allocated to ensure housing, food, clothes and medicine for the victims.

A five-member expert group led by Chen Jianmin, deputy director of the State Seismological Bureau, has arrived the disaster- stricken area and the health department has been ready for cope with possible epidemic diseases.