World

Earthquake hits southwest China; thousands evacuate, buildings collapse

By Reuters Reuters

Updated May 18, 2026 1:37 AM

Rescue workers walk past a damaged building following an earthquake at Taiyang village in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China May 18, 2026. cnsphoto via REUTERS — Rescue workers walk past a damaged building following an earthquake at Taiyang village in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China May 18, 2026. cnsphoto via REUTERS cnsphoto Reuters

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BEIJING - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake in China's southwest region of Guangxi early on Monday killed two and forced more than 7,000 in the city of Liuzhou to evacuate as search and rescue operations continue and authorities warn of transport disruptions.

• There were two confirmed deaths with one still missing, and four people were sent to the hospital, although none of them had life-threatening injuries, CCTV and state news agency Xinhua said.

• Thirteen buildings collapsed in the early hours of Monday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

• Transportation disruptions were also flagged by railway authorities as they inspected the integrity of rail line infrastructure.

• Communication and power lines, water and gas supply, and traffic in the affected area were operating normally, state media reported.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 12:45 AM.