On the afternoon of August 7th, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck Gaoxian County in Yibin City, Sichuan Province, with a depth of 6 kilometers. The local residents felt strong tremors, and several surrounding areas experienced noticeable shaking. The earthquake has resulted in one fatality and six injuries. A 3.0-magnitude aftershock occurred at 16:02. Recently, Gaoxian County has been experiencing frequent earthquakes, and local residents have accused the seismic activity on shale gas exploration in Yibin.
According to the official data from the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 occurred at 13:08 on August 7th in Gaoxian County, Yibin City, Sichuan Province (latitude 28.51 degrees, longitude 104.67 degrees), with a depth of 6 kilometers.
Following the earthquake, the Seismological Bureau of Sichuan Province initiated a level-four emergency response.
Subsequently, the Emergency Response and Relief Command Office of Yibin City issued a situation report stating that as of 16:30 on the 7th, the earthquake had resulted in one fatality due to injury from a collapsed outdoor wall while seeking shelter, one minor injury, and five slight injuries.
With a shallow depth of only 6 kilometers, the earthquake was strongly felt in the area. A video from China’s state-run media CCTV showed intense shaking of furniture indoors. Another video from the Beijing News showed a courtyard wall collapsing instantly.
After the earthquake, in addition to many local residents reporting strong tremors, numerous residents in the area claimed that the frequent earthquakes in Gaoxian County were linked to shale gas extraction in Yibin. The topic “Yibin shale gas extraction” trended on Weibo but was later suppressed.
Angry accusations emerged from the locals, expressing concerns about the continuous seismic activity and its impact on their lives and properties. They called for an immediate halt to shale gas extraction, citing damages to their homes and fear of displacement.
Recent seismic activity in Gaoxian County has been notable, with a 4.8-magnitude earthquake occurring on August 3 at 2:21 am, causing tremors felt in Yibin, Luzhou, Chengdu, and other areas. Subsequently, on the same day, earthquakes of 3.0 and two 3.3 magnitudes struck Gaoxian County at 2:32 am, 3:29 am, and 3:54 am, respectively.
On July 8th, Gaoxian County experienced not only two 5.0-magnitude earthquakes but also several other seismic events. These included a 3.8-magnitude earthquake at 4:01 am, a 3.2-magnitude quake at 6:14 am, a 3.4-magnitude one at 6:19 am, and a 4.0-magnitude earthquake at 6:22 am. On the following day, July 9th, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake occurred at around 7:44 am.
Furthermore, on June 29th at 00:12, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit near Shahe Town in Gaoxian County, with a depth of 6 kilometers. The quake caused 15 injuries and damaged 951 households and 1,859 houses to varying degrees.