However, Ma is worrying more about the family of her cousin, who live in the epicentre site Longtoushan, as her calls to the families went unanswered.
“I just hope they are safe and sound. They didn't answer the calls,” she said.
The quake toppled and cracked many buildings, particularly old ones and residential homes.
“Too many buildings were damaged and we are collecting data on deaths and injuries,” said Chen Guoyong, head of the Longtoushan township, adding a rescue operation was underway. The road leading to the township was damaged in a landslide before the quake and traffic has not resumed. Zhaotong City has dispatched more than 300 police and firefighters to the quake-hit areas.
The province also sent 392 rescuers and 12 sniffer dogs. The civil affairs authorities sent 2,000 tents, 3,000 folding beds, 3,000 quilts and 3,000 coats to the area. Ludian has a population of 265,900 in its seven townships. Zhaotong, about 300 kms from Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan, is on the earthquake belt and has been occasionally jolted by quakes.
In September 2012, a 5.7-magnitude caused more than 80 deaths and injured more than 800 people.
In 1974, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the same place caused over 1,400 deaths.
More rains are forecast in the coming three days, according to the China Meteorological Administration. Earlier today, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Xigatze Prefecture in Tibet close to the Indian and Nepal borders.
Xigatze is located close to the Arunachal Pradesh border. The epicentre was monitored at a depth of 10 kms, the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said. Meanwhile, more than 2,500 officers and soldiers were today dispatched to join the disaster relief operation in the quake-hit southwestern Chinese county.
The Chengdu Military Area Command (CMAC) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) started an emergency plan immediately after the quake.
So far over 2,500 officers and soldiers, including those in active service and reserve duty as well as militia have gone to join the quake relief, with some of them rushing to the quake-hit area, Xinhua reported.
PLA troops brought life detection instruments, excavating tools and other disaster relief equipment to the area. The military also deployed medical and disease-control gear to the area, with surgical operating vehicles, field water purification vehicles and other equipment. CMAC ordered its troops to put in more staff if necessary, and bring tents, food stuff, medicines and other materials to the quake-hit area.
