OCHA Situation Report No. 1
China - Earthquake
27 November 2005


1. The US Geological Survey this morning reported that an earthquake with a 
magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale, with a shallow depth of 10 kms, occurred 
in a highly populated region of southeastern China on 26 November at 00:49 UTC 
(08:49 AM local time). The epicenter was near the Hubei-Jiangxi provincial 
border, at 25 km WSW of Jiujiang in Jiangxi province, 100 km SE of Wuhan in 
Hubei province. China's National Seismic Observation Network later reported 
that the earthquake measured 5.7 on the Richter scale.

2. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the earthquake has killed 13 
persons and wounded 80,000. So far 18,000 houses have collapsed and 15,000 
houses have been damaged. The Ministry has sent a team of emergency managers to 
the affected areas this afternoon and secured 1,000 winter tents.

3. So far, no request for international assistance from the Government has been 
received.

4. OCHA is in close contact with the Chinese earthquake administration and the 
UN Resident Coordinator's Office in China and will revert with further 
information as it becomes available. This situation report, together with 
further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA 
Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.

Map: China: Earthquake - Situation map

Telephone: +41 22 917 12 34
Fax: +41 22 917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41 22 917 20 10

Desk Officer:
  Mr Masaaki Nakagawa - Direct Tel. +41 22 917 4034

Press contact:
  GVA - Ms. M. Moulin-Acevedo - direct Tel. +41 22 917 31 60
  NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker - direct Tel. +1 212 917 367 51 26

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