A magnitude-5.2 earthquake struck Liuzhou city in South China early Monday, killing two people and collapsing several residential buildings [1], [7].
The quake occurred at 12:21 a.m. Beijing time on May 18, 2026 [1]. The event disrupted the Liunan District of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, triggering a large-scale emergency response to locate missing residents and secure unstable structures.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of eight km [1]. According to reports from state broadcaster CCTV, 13 buildings collapsed during the early hours of the morning [11]. Other reports indicate a range of approximately nine to a dozen structures were destroyed [4], [10].
Emergency services said that at least three people remain missing and four others have been hospitalized [5], [6]. To prevent further casualties, authorities evacuated more than 7,000 people from the affected areas [9].
"Hundreds of rescue personnel have been deployed to the area as multiple government agencies activate emergency response protocols," a report said [12].
Rescue operations focused on the residential sectors of the Liunan District, where the most significant structural damage occurred. The deployment of hundreds of personnel aims to clear debris and provide medical aid to those injured in the collapse of homes [12].
“Thirteen buildings collapsed in the early hours of Monday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.”
The significant damage caused by a magnitude-5.2 quake, which is generally considered moderate, suggests potential vulnerabilities in the residential building codes or structural integrity of older housing in the Liunan District. The scale of the evacuation indicates a high level of caution from regional authorities regarding potential aftershocks in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
