43 dead in South China earthquake; toll to rise

Beijing: A shallow earthquake hit southwestern China on Friday, killing at least 43 people and damaging more than 20,000 homes, state media said.The official Xinhua News Agency said 150 people were also hurt in the quake that hit Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.An official from the Yunnan provincial government earthquake office, who like many Chinese bureaucrats would not give his name, earlier said 20 people had died.[caption id="attachment_447663" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption]Xinhua said the quake destroyed or damaged 20,000 homes. Buildings in rural areas in China are often constructed poorly. In 2008, a severe earthquake in Sichuan province, just north of Yunnan, killed nearly 90,000 people, with many of the deaths blamed on poorly built buildings, including schools.The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.6 quake hit at a depth of 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles). Shallower earthquakes often cause more damage than deeper ones.Xinhua said the earthquake hit the border area of Yiliang county of Yunnan and Weining county of Guizhou.AP