Thousands flee buildings as earthquake strikes China
Thousands of people were evacuated from buildings today as an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck western China.
The tremor was felt as far away as Thailand and Vietnam.
The earthquake struck 92km north-west of the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu at 2.28pm (6.28pm Irish time), the US Geological Survey said on its website. It said the quake was centred 10km below the surface.
An eyewitness in Chengdu, reached by phone, said people flooded from buildings, but there was no immediate sign of damage or injuries.
The quake was centred on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau, where mountains rise sharply and the population density is generally thin.
In the Chinese capital, Beijing, about 1,500km away, buildings swayed for more than two minutes but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Thousands of frightened office workers and shoppers fled buildings, including offices of the organising committee for the Beijing Olympics. People lingered outside buildings in the central business district even 30 minutes after the shaking stopped.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake is considered a major event, capable of causing widespread damage and injuries in populated areas.
In the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, 160km off the south-eastern Chinese coast, buildings swayed when the quake hit. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The quake was felt as far away as the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, where some people hurried out of swaying office buildings and into the streets downtown. A building in the Thai capital of Bangkok also was evacuated after the quake was felt there.
