Massive earthquake sets buildings shaking in Beijing

Published on Monday 12 May 2008 10:45

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck western China today shaking buildings in cities as far away as Beijing and Shanghai.

The quake struck 57 miles northwest of the Sichhuan provincial capital of Chengdu, the US Geological Survey said.

It said the 7.5-magnitude quake was centred 6.2 miles below the surface.

An eyewitness contacted by telephone in Chengdu said people flooded from buildings, but there was no sign of damage or injuries.

The area where the quake hit lies on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau, where mountains rise sharply and the population density is generally thin.

In the Chinese capital Beijing, about 930 miles away, buildings swayed for more than two minutes but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Frightened office workers and shoppers lingered outside buildings in the central business district, even half-an hour after the shaking stopped.

In the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, 100 miles off the southeastern Chinese coast, buildings swayed when the quake hit. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The quake was felt as far away as the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.