#2 separate China quakes cause damage; 3 dead, dozens hurt

A strong, shallow quake shook southwestern China near the border with Myanmar, killing at least three people and injuring more than two dozen, while a separate 7.3-magnitute quake early Saturday collapsed a bridge and caused other damage in central China.

The second quake hit the southern part of Qinghai province, about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) north of the first quake in Yunnan province.

U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Jonathan Tytell said the two quakes were not related.

The Qinghai temblor was followed by 453 aftershocks throughout the early morning into midday, according to the official People’s Daily newspaper. At least eight people were injured.

While no deaths have been reported so far in Qinghai province, the quakes tore up roads and bridges, with one collapsing completely, broken into segments.

The Yunnan province seismological bureau gave the magnitude of the Friday night quake as 6.4 and said it struck 8 kilometers (5 miles) below the surface northwest of the city of Dali.

Shallow quakes often cause more damage, especially in populated areas.

The earthquake caused strong shaking around Dali, but Chinese news reports showed relatively little damage.

Three people died and 28 were injured, the Yunan province’s publicity department said Saturday.

Relief efforts were underway, with the provincial authorities sending emergency rations and tents to the affected areas. In Qinghai, authorities set up temporary safety shelters due to continuous aftershocks.

Last year, a magnitude 5 earthquake in Yunnan killed four people and injured 23.

China’s worst earthquake in recent years struck the mountainous western portion of Sichuan province to the north of Yunnan in 2008, killing nearly 90,000 people.

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