A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Liuzhou city in south China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, May 18, killing two people and causing 13 buildings to collapse.

State news agency Xinhua reported the quake hit at 12:21 am local time, with one person still missing as of Monday morning. Authorities evacuated more than 7,000 residents from the affected area.

What happened in the Guangxi earthquake on May 18?

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit Liuzhou city in Guangxi at 12:21 am, collapsing 13 buildings and killing two people. Over 7,000 residents were evacuated.

One person remained missing as of Monday morning, with search and rescue operations ongoing.

Who were the victims of the Guangxi earthquake?

State broadcaster CCTV identified the two deceased as a couple: a 63-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman. Search and rescue efforts for the one missing person were continuing. Videos published by CCTV showed people fleeing high-rise buildings and piles of rubble beside destroyed homes.

Rescue workers were seen moving through the debris while search dogs worked to detect signs of life. Emergency workers wearing helmets used earthmovers to clear the wreckage. The scale of the response reflected the number of buildings affected across the city.

How does this earthquake compare to recent China quakes?

Earthquakes in China are relatively common, particularly across its southern and western regions. Last January, a devastating quake in the remote Tibet region killed at least 126 people and damaged thousands of buildings.

The Guangxi earthquake, while smaller in scale, caused significant local destruction and prompted a large-scale evacuation response.