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Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake, a catastrophe that caused mass casualties and economic losses. It is also China's 10th Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day, set in the wake of the devastating quake.
On this important date, CGTN reviews the massive earthquake in 2008 and outlines the frequency as well as distributions of the quakes China suffered, based on data over the past decade.
On May 12, 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, leaving more than 69,000 dead and causing damage to infrastructure.
Wenchuan and neighboring areas were hit by many aftershocks in the days following the 8.0-magnitude earthquake.
As search-and-rescue missions continued after May 12, the fate of the people in quake-hit areas tugged at people's heartstrings. Here are some unforgettable moments.
Earthquakes in China
The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake caused major casualties, property loss and environmental damage. Though quake of such tremendous magnitudes are infrequent, earthquakes themselves are quite common across the country.
During the last decade, China has experienced hundreds of tremors underground, more than 300 of which had a magnitude that measured over 5.
China’s land area accounts for 1/15 of the global total, while almost 1/3 of the global land earthquakes happen in China. As China is located between the two largest seismic belts, i.e. the Circum-Pacific Seismic Zone and the Eurasian Seismic Zone, its quakes are characterized by high frequencies, seismic intensity, shallow epicenter and wide distributions, according to China Earthquake Administration.
As earthquakes can happen anytime, anywhere and without any warning, you need to keep in mind the do's and don'ts just in case.
(Graphics design: Li Xiaojie; Data collection and visualization: Zhao Lei)