Two killed and thousands evacuated after M5.2 earthquake strikes Guangxi city in southern China
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Liuzhou in southern China’s Guangxi region early on 18 May 2026, killing two people, collapsing 13 buildings and forcing more than 7,000 residents to evacuate as emergency rescue operations continued.
- A 5.2-magnitude earthquake killed two people in Liuzhou, Guangxi, early on 18 May 2026.
- More than 7,000 residents were evacuated after 13 buildings collapsed in the affected district.
- Chinese authorities deployed hundreds of rescue workers and activated emergency response measures.
A shallow 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Liuzhou in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region early on 18 May 2026, killing at least two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents to evacuate.
According to Chinese state media, the local authorities said one person remained missing while four others were hospitalised following the tremor, although officials stated that none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
The earthquake struck Liunan District at 12:21am at a depth of 8 kilometres, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
Local authorities confirmed that at least 13 buildings collapsed after the quake, prompting a large-scale emergency and rescue operation across the affected district.
Emergency teams continued search and rescue efforts near the epicentre throughout Monday morning as officials assessed damage to homes and infrastructure.
Authorities said more than 7,000 residents had been relocated from affected areas as a precaution against potential aftershocks.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management and the office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters activated a Level-IV emergency response shortly after the disaster.
A specialised work team was dispatched to the quake-hit region to coordinate rescue operations and oversee relief efforts.
Regional authorities in Guangxi and the China Earthquake Administration later upgraded local emergency measures, activating a Level-III emergency response by 2:00am.
State news agency Xinhua reported that local authorities had been instructed to verify casualties and structural damage as quickly as possible, organise evacuation efforts and maintain continuous monitoring for aftershocks.
Emergency services deployed 51 fire and rescue vehicles alongside 315 rescue personnel to the affected district.
Officials said rescue teams were focusing on damaged residential areas where collapsed structures raised concerns about people trapped under debris.
The earthquake caused panic among residents in Liuzhou, a major industrial city in Guangxi, with many people leaving homes and apartment buildings during the overnight tremor.
Authorities have not yet released detailed estimates of the financial damage caused by the earthquake.
Search operations remained ongoing on Monday as rescue workers continued efforts to locate the missing person and stabilise damaged structures in the disaster zone.
