Earthquake Hit Yunnan, China, 391 Killed

A general view shows collapsed houses after an earthquake hit Ludian county, Yunnan province August 3, 2014. (REUTERS/China Daily)

At least 391 people were killed by an earthquake that struck Yunnan, China on Sunday afternoon.

About 1,891 others were injured by the quake that struck about 11km (7 miles) north-west of Wenping in Yunnan province at 16:30 local time (08:30 GMT) on Sunday.

About 12,000 homes collapsed while 30,000 others were damaged during the disaster.

The quake was the strongest to hit Yunnan in 14 yea rs.

Here are some photos of the disaster…

5.6 Magnitude Quake Hit China – Photos

Associated Press – A man looks at the trucks damaged by fallen rocks after an earthquake in Zhaotong town, Yiliang County, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Friday, Sept. 7, 2012.

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern China along the borders of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces just before 11:30 a.m. on Friday, September 7, 2012.

At least 89 people were killed and more than 820 people were injured.

It was followed by an equally strong aftershock shortly after noon and a lot more of aftershocks after that.

The earthquakes were relatively shallow, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep, so it caused greater damage to the area.

A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Costa Rica on Wednesday but it caused less damage because the quake was deep, at 41 kilometers (25 miles) below the surface.

It damaged and destroyed thousands and thousands of houses and buildings and caused lots of landslides that blocked the roads to the area.

The damage is great because most of the buildings were poorly constructed and since the earthquakes hit a mountainous area, it triggered landslides.

More than 100,000 residents were evacuated from the area.

This is a disaster!

Blocked mountain roads slowed the rescue efforts and officials worried that the death toll could rise further.

In this photo provided by China’s Xinhua News Agency, damaged cars are seen in Luozehe town, Yiliang County, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. A series of earthquakes collapsed houses and triggered landslides in a remote mountainous part of southwestern China on Friday, killing dozens of people with the toll expected to rise. Damage was preventing rescuers from reaching some outlying areas.

A collapsed house is seen after two earthquakes in Zhaotong, Yunnan province, September 7, 2012. Two shallow 5.6 magnitude earthquakes hit southwestern China on Friday, killing at least 50 people and forcing tens of thousands of people from damaged buildings, state media said. REUTERS/Stringer

A still image taken from video shows a tracking shot of a vehicle passing by an area affected by a landslide after an earthquake hit Yiliang county in Zhaotong city, in Yunnan province September 7, 2012. REUTERS/CCTV via Reuters TV

People run as smoke rises after an earthquake hit Yiliang county in Zhaotong city, in Yunnan province in this still image from video September 7, 2012. REUTERS/CCTV via Reuters TV

Passengers stand on a highway as they are covered with dust after an earthquake hit Yiliang county in Zhaotong city, in Yunnan province September 7, 2012. REUTERS/CCTV via Reuters TV

In this photo provided by Xinhua News Agency, an injured villager is carried on a stretcher by rescuers following an earthquake in Luozehe Town, Yiliang County, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. A series of earthquakes collapsed houses and triggered landslides in a remote mountainous part of southwestern China on Friday, killing dozens of people with the toll expected to rise.

People run as fallen rocks land near their vehicle after the area was hit by earthquake in Zhaotong town, Yiliang County, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. A series of earthquakes collapsed houses and triggered landslides Friday in a remote mountainous part of southwestern China where damage was preventing rescues and communications were disrupted. At least 64 deaths have been reported. (AP Photo)