Southwest China earthquake triggers rockslides, but no casualties reported

Rescuers head to site of shallow 5.5-magnitude quake in mountainous area of Sichuan province

The region is prone to deadly temblors, with a 6.8-magnitude quake killing more than 90 people in September

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Roads were blocked by rockslides following an earthquake in Sichuan province on Thursday, but no other damage has been reported. Photo: Weibo

Published: 2:04pm, 26 Jan 2023Updated: 2:21pm, 26 Jan 2023

Rescuers were headed to the site of a magnitude 5.5 earthquake on Thursday in a region of southwestern China at the base of the Tibetan plateau that is prone to deadly quakes.

Roads into the area have been blocked by rockslides, although there have been no reported casualties or other damage. The temblor struck at 3.49am at a relatively shallow depth of 10km (6.2 miles) in Sichuan province’s mountainous Luding county, according to the US Geological Survey.

Although 5.5 magnitude quakes are not particularly strong, shallow temblors are more likely to cause damage.

The official Xinhua News Agency said about 100 rescuers were on their way to the site, but it gave no details on their work expertise or duties. China typically mobilises firefighters, paramilitary troops and local volunteers as first responders to earthquakes and wildfires in remote mountainous regions with limited roads.

A 6.8-magnitude quake struck the same region in September, killing more than 90 people, injuring over 400 and destroying or damaging thousands of buildings.

The China Earthquake Networks Centre gave the magnitude as 5.6 and depth at 11km. Aftershocks followed in the area, including one registering magnitude 4.9.

Although 5.5 magnitude quakes are not particularly strong, shallow temblors are more likely to cause damage. Photo: Weibo

Roughly 200km from the provincial capital Chengdu, Luding is located in the Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, where tectonic plates grind up against each other.