Vista del danneggiato edifici di appartamenti e i detriti di case crollate dopo la 6,5-terremoto di magnitudine nel villaggio di Longquan, Longtoushan town, Ludia
View of damaged apartment buildings and the debris of collapsed houses after the 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Longquan village, Longtoushan town, Ludian county, Zhaotong city, southwest Chinas Yunnan province, 5 August 2014. The death toll has risen to 615 after Sundays (3 August 2014) earthquake in southwest Chinas Yunnan province, Chinas state-run CCTV reported Thursday (7 August 2014) evening, citing the earthquake relief command. The epicenter of the quake was recorded in Longtoushan Township, 23 kilometers (14 miles) southwest of Zhaotong, and tremors were felt almost 200 miles away. Hundreds of aftershocks were recorded following the initial tremor. Poor weather conditions and the aftershocks hampered rescue efforts. It is a fairly remote, partly mountainous area. Many residents live in low-rise houses made of wood and bricks or plaster, which make them prone to collapse. The quality of the housing, along with the higher-than-average population density in the area and the relatively shallow epicenter of the quake, were said to be contributing factors in the death toll. Some 12, 000 homes were destroyed and 30, 000 others damaged in Sundays quake, according to CCTV. Tens of thousands of people have been relocated from structurally unsafe houses. Some roads were destroyed and some villages remain cut off.
