13 buildings collapse, 2 die after M5.2 earthquake hits Guangxi, China
A shallow M5.2 earthquake struck Liunan District in Liuzhou, Guangxi, at 16:21 UTC on May 17, 2026, killing 2 people, injuring 4, collapsing at least 13 buildings, and prompting the evacuation of more than 7 000 residents.
Damage caused by M5.2 earthquake in Guangxi, China on May 17, 2026. Credit: Xinhua (stillshot from the video)
A deadly M5.2 earthquake struck Liunan District in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at 00:21 LT on May 18, 2026 (16:21 UTC on May 17) at a depth of 8 km (5 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
The USGS registered the quake as M5.0 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), with epicenter 24 km (15 miles) NW of Liuzhou (population 1 436 599) and 40 km (25 miles) W of Luorong (population 67 593), Guangxi, China. EMSC registered it as M5.1 at a depth of 0 km.
The State Council Earthquake Relief Headquarters Office and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a national Level IV earthquake disaster emergency response and sent rescue and relief operations with 51 fire-rescue vehicles and 315 fire-rescue personnel.
Rescue operations focused on Taiyangcun Town, where damaged structures were searched after the quake.
According to the latest official information, the earthquake killed 2 people, injured 4, collapsed at least 13 buildings, and prompted the evacuation of more than 7 000 residents in Liuzhou.
While road-blocking landslides and train service disruption were reported following the quake, state media said power lines, water and gas supply, and traffic in the affected area are now operating normally.
References:
1 M5.0 earthquake Guangxi, China – USGS – May 17, 2026
2 Update: 2 dead, 91-year-old man rescued after 5.2-magnitude quake strikes south China’s Guangxi – Xinhua – May 18, 2026
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