Moderate extremely shallow earthquake in Inner Mongolia, China - also well felt in Shenyang and Tongliao - At least 12 injuries and 2 persons indirektly killed

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Update : 2 persons were indirectly killed by the quake as they suffered a heart attack.

Update April 23rd, 13:30 UTC : Some fires did occur from this earthquake from people cooking, however these were quickly extinguished.
Brick and concrete house damage remains as below. The 12 people with minor injuries have all been discharged from hospital.

Update April 23rd, 11:00 UTC : The houses of 9 families collapsed. 74 households (222 rooms) were severely damaged, 916 households (2748 rooms) slightly damaged.

Update April 23rd, 05:55 UTC : At least 12 people were injured by the quake. Furthermore, a small number of old, dilapidated buildings collapsed. Some dozen more were damaged. 316 people were displaced.

Update 22:06 UTC : Telephone communications were interrupted for approx. 5 minutes. The seismological bureau has warned the people that aftershocks may occur (they are alerting based on historic earthquake patterns). We expect a more detailed report from the seismological bureau tomorrow

Update 13:16 UTC : In a new intermediate report from the Inner Mongolia seismological bureau personnel on their way to the epicenter area reported that only cracks and open walls were seen. They also especially mentioned NO collapsed houses so far.

Update 12:47 UTC : Chinese social websites are spreading the rumor that a M6.5 earthquake will happen soon. People spreading these rumors and that way frightening other people should be punished by law. Earthquakes CANNOT be predicted, nor in Magnitude nor in time. The only resistance towards earthquakes is being prepared by strengthening your house and knowing what to do if it happens.

Update 12:38 UTC : According to a preliminary understanding of the Autonomous Region Seismological Bureau, the earthquake was clearly felt Chifeng City, Shenyang, Fuxin City, Tieling City, Changchun City and Siping City. Up to now, no casualties. Damage to buildings and houses in the epicentral area looks to be mild.
People in the earthquake zone report that they have felt 5 aftershocks so far.

Update 12:09 UTC : NO reports of substantial damage so far. Let's hope it will remain like this.

Slight damage - image courtesy and copyright Baidu.com

Update 10:49 UTC : The first reports we are getting from Tangliao City report no serious damage but only cracks in some walls BUT Tangliao City is not relevant as main damage potential area as this city is approx. 70 km from the epicenter. Earthquake-Report.com has called an area of 15 to 30 km radius which will have the most shaking risk.

Update 10:33 UTC : It would really surprise us if this earthquake would be harmless. We expect that the max. shaking in a radius of 15 km around the epicenter will be MMI V to MMVI (moderate to strong shaking). Older non earthquake resistant houses maybe suffering from todays earthquake.

Update 10:17 UTC : Chinese authorities have send 12 rescue and assessment teams to the epicenter area.

Update 10:05 UTC : We have to report a similar Magnitude earthquake which happened in 2003 with grim records. 4 people killed, 1000 injured and 7900 houses destroyed. These are the international data for a quake with an epicenter in this location. The epicenter is luckily far away from the present epicenter, but based on the topography the underground is very unstable in this region.

Update 10:01 UTC : We invite our readers who have felt this earthquake to report their experience by filling in the form below. Thank you.

Update 09:49 UTC : The earthquake was also well felt in Shenyang, approx. 100 km from the epicenter. Earthquake-Report.com calls this earthquake moderately dangerous for damage and injuries based on the Chinese seismological parameters.

Update 09:38 UTC : The earthquakes greater epicenter area is merely flat farming land which indicates a lot of soft soil. Slight damage cannot be excluded.

Based on The Chinese seismological data this earthquake was a M5.3 earthquake at a depth of only 6 km!
The earthquake epicenter was relatively close to Horqin.

Satellite view from Horqin, a city very close to the epicenter

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 4.9

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-04-22 17:11:55

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-04-22 09:11:55

Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km

Depth and Magnitude updates in the list below.

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					Refresh this list
SRC	Location	UTC Date/time	M	D	INFO
USGS	Nei Mongol-liaoning Border Region, China	Apr 22 09:11	5.0	24	MAP
EMSC	Eastern Nei Mongol, China	Apr 22 09:11	5.1	15	MAP
Heping District, Shenyang - My husband and I were sitting on the couch when all of a sudden it started swaying back and forth like we were on a boat. Shenyang, China - felt the couch shake Shenyang - on the 23th floor light shaking today about 17:20 local time Shenyang - light shaking on the 23th floor Shenyang, China - I was asleep and woke up because of it and also saw the ketchup bottle shaking on the table. the next thing was me running down the building :p Jinzhou,Liaoning Province - I was sitting on the couch and suddenly i started to shake,i thought something wrong with my body or may be i was just shivering,but when it became a bit more forcefull and seeing the room furnitures rattle i knew what it was.For my personal experience it was a moderate powerful eathquake,for the fact in happened atleast couple of hundred km away from jinzhou Beijing - Felt badly, we saw many buildings and skyscrapers hanging and jolting. Many people panicked and rushed out in some roads.
GEOFON	Northeastern China	Apr 22 09:11	4.9	10	MAP I Felt It INFO

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MMI II (Very weak shaking)	? People : Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
MMI III (Weak shaking)	? People : Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
MMI IV (Light shaking)	? People : Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building. Fittings : Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock. Structures : Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
MMI V (Moderate shaking)	? People : Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed. Fittings : Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate. Structures : Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
MMI VI (Strong shaking)	? People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily. Fittings : Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut). Structures : Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall. Environment : Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
MMI VII (Very strong shaking)	? People General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop. Fittings : Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings. Structures : Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged. Environment : Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
MMI VIII (Severe shaking)	? People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
MMI IX (Violent shaking)	? Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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Moderate extremely shallow earthquake in Inner Mongolia, China - also well felt in Shenyang and Tongliao - At least 12 injuries and 2 persons indirektly killed

Other earlier earthquakes in the greater epicenter area (since 2012)

Strongest earthquakes Magnitude 3.5 or more within a 150 km radius from this earthquake (max. 60)