Earthquake in Lai Chau and Son La provinces
Ha Noi, Feb. 20 (VNA) -- Earthquakes strongly shook Dien Bien Phu basin, northwestern Lai Chau province, from 22:51 pm on Feb. 19 to 5:00 am on Feb. 20, injuring dozens of people.
Offices, particularly headquarters of the provincial Party Committee, People's Committee, schools, and hospitals, in the region were heavily damaged by the quakes with the strongest measured at 5 on the Richter scale.
People were injured as they sought ways to run away from their trembling houses.
According to an intial report, material losses were estimated to reach thousands of billion dong while no death was reported.
The provincial People's Committee has worked out and taken measures to overcome the aftermath. Schools are closed for fear of other earthquakes.
Lai Chau's Son La neighbouring province saw two slight earthquakes at 23:00 pm on Feb.19 and 3:00 am on Feb.20.
The quakes, measured at 1.5 on the Richter scale, were part of earthquakes which ran from the Viet Nam - Laos border area through Dien Bien, Muong Lay and Tuan Giao districts in Lai Chau province, to Muong La, Bac Yen, Thuan Chau districts and Son La township in Son La province.
These quakes were the strongest of its kind recorded in Son La province since 1993 so far.--VNA
