China earthquake strikes in southwest border area with Burma (Myanmar). The China earthquake follows two earthquakes in Japan.

An earthquake toppled more than 1,000 houses and apartment buildings in southwest China near the border with Myanmar, on Thursday, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 200 officials and state media.

Photos from the scene showed that the buildings buckled, crushing its lower floors. Police, firefighters and soldiers rushed to the scene so that people trapped in the rubble, including a man and a girl trapped in the stairwell of a four-storey building, according to state broadcaster China Central Television .

Parts of a supermarket and a hotel down the gauntlet, when the sidewalks were lined with blankets have been injured, it is protected from sun umbrellas vendor companies.

In pictures: Earthquake in Yunnan Province, China

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that 24 people were killed, including four students, with respect to Yingjiang county in Yunnan province. 207 other people were injured, 33 of them in critical condition.

The site of the monitoring station of the Chinese government said the earthquake of magnitude 5, 8 earthquake was centered in Yingjiang and struck just before 1:00 p.m. (0500 GMT) at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers). U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 5.4 and a maximum of 21 miles (35 km).

About 1,200 houses or apartments had been crushed by the earthquake, "said Zhao Yunshan Yingjiang director of the Press Office of the Government. More than 127 000 people were evacuated to shelters nearby, Xinhua, referring to the civil and the Ministry of Health.

According to the USGS for more than a million people may have been exposed to the worst unrest.

Vice President Xi Jinping, is set to become the next leader of the country, called for an effort "all-out to get food, water and clothing to those affected by the earthquake, Xinhua said.

More than 1,000 soldiers were sent to help rescue efforts, said the news agency. The earthquake occurred while many people, including students, in their house for a lunch break customary, CCTV reported.

Tremors were felt in the region continued throughout the afternoon and evening, according to CCTV reporter Qian Shu, who was at the scene of disasters in Yingjiang County.

The epicenter was located Shiming Village, just over a capital mile (two kilometers) of the province, but caused a power outage for more than Yingjiang, which has a population of about 300,000 people, said Xinhua.

In the evening, power was cut off, even though the water and communications, there is no damage, Shu said.

A government team comprising the Ministry of Civil Affairs has sent to the region affected by the earthquake, CCTV said. About 5,000 tents, 10,000 blankets and 10,000 coats are also sent by the central government.

The mountainous area is located 1,500 miles (2,400 km) southwest of Beijing, near the border with Myanmar and is home to many ethnic groups on both sides of the border, which sees heavy traffic in persons and property .

Xinhua said the quake prone region has been hit by more than 1,000 smaller earthquakes in the past two months.

Myanmar Weather Service issued a statement saying there was an earthquake about 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of Mandalay, the second largest city.

The statement did not mention the injury or the specific area of ​​Myanmar hardest hit by the earthquake. Authorities decided the country's long tendency not immediately discuss the effects of natural disasters.

A large part of the Myanmar side had control of different armed ethnic groups who fought for freedom in Myanmar's central government control of the army.

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