According to the
China Earthquake Administration (CEA) and Sichuan Earthquake Administration (SCEA), the () 6.1 shock struck southern
Sichuan province, China on August 30, 2008, at 16:30:50.5
China Standard Time (CST – 0730
UTC). The
United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported it at () 6.0. in the
Renhe District of
Panzhihua, Sichuan, which is 50 km southeast of the city center. The epicenter is 60 km from
Huili County in
Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, 30 km from
Yongren County and 55 km from
Yuanmou County in neighboring
Yunnan province. Whereas the
Sichuan earthquake two and half months earlier in the same province
continues to invoke aftershocks even after August 30, the Panzhihua earthquake was not one of them because it occurred on a different
fault.
Impact By September 5, authorities confirmed 41 deaths (35 in Sichuan, 6 in Yunnan) and 589 injuries. CEA also reported the collapse of 10,000 homes, and damage had occurred to 190,000 more. Considerable damage to highways, bridges, and reservoirs were reported. The area affected by liedu VIII earthquakes covered a north–south oriented oval of 628 km2 centered around the epicenter, 39 km long and 19 km wide, including 28 km2 in Yunnan province. The total area of liedu VI (Slightly damaging) and above is 9,634 km2, of which 6,265 km2 are in Sichuan.
Aftershocks A 5.6 aftershock (5.5 according to USGS) struck the same location on August 31, 2008, at 16:31:09.6 CST (08:31 UTC), causing at least two additional deaths. ==Response==