Light earthquake destroys scores of homes, school in central China

Light earthquake destroys scores of homes, school in central China

2010-10-25 03:20:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

ZHENGZHOU, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- More than a dozen people were injured and scores of homes were destroyed after a light earthquake rattled central China on Sunday, state-run media reported.

The 4.7-magnitude earthquake at 4.58 p.m. local time was centered in the Zhoukou City area of the country's Henan Province. It struck about 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the China Earthquake Network Center (CENC).

The state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the small tremor destroyed at least 24 homes in Taikang County, while 12 students were injured when a school collapsed. In Fugou County, about 40 homes were reported to have sustained damage.

On August 29, 12 people were injured and more than 300 homes were damaged after a moderate 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck approximately 90 miles (145 kilometers) east-northeast of Panzhihua, a city located in the Sichuan province.

And on April 14, nearly 3,000 people were killed and more than 12,000 others were injured when a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked northwest China's Qinghai Province.

Before that, on May 12, 2008, a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck the same province, causing more than 69,000 fatalities.

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