Premier Li sets out for Yunnan quake zone

(Xinhua) Updated: 2014-08-04 08:11

An injured resident is carried away to a place of safety after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Ludian county in Southwest China's Yunnan province at 4:30 pm Sunday. [Photo/CCTV]

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A 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattled southwest China's Yunnan province at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

The epicenter is in Longtoushan Township, 23 km southwest of the county seat of Ludian, in Zhaotong city.

More than 12,000 houses have been toppled and 30,000 damaged in the quake zone.

At least 381 people dead and 1,801 injured

Many of the homes that collapsed in Ludian, which has a population of about 429,000, were old and made of brick.

More than 2,500 troops dispatched to the disaster region.

Premier Li Keqiang is leading senior officials to Yunnan Province to examine the situation of a 6.5-magnitude earthquake and instruct the quake relief.

The quake occurred at 4:30 pm Sunday (Beijing Time) with a depth of 12 km. The epicenter was at Longtoushan Township, 23 km southwest of the county seat of Ludian.

At least 381 people died as of 8:40 am Monday, rescuers said.

China Earthquake Administration upgraded its emergency response in the quake-affected region to Grade I, the highest level, on Monday morning.

As of 8 am Monday, 411 aftershocks had been recorded in the quake-hit region, with four measured between 4.0 to 4.9 magnitude and five between 3.0 to 3.9 magnitude, according to the administration.

Live: 381 dead as strong quake rocks SW China