Over 2,000 earthquake monitor stations to be built in SW China

CHENGDU - A total of 2,003 earthquake monitor stations will be built in Southwest China's Sichuan province by the end of 2020 to provide alarms seconds before the seismic waves arrive, the provincial earthquake administration said Thursday.

The seismic intensity of the earthquake will also be available several minutes after the earthquake to help the local governments locate the areas that are hit and take responding rescue measures.

"When all the monitor stations are completed, alarms will be sent about five to 15 seconds before the seismic waves arrive," said Su Jinrong, engineer with the province's earthquake monitor center.

With a total investment of 230 million yuan ($32.8 million), the province started to build these monitor stations in July 2018 so as to gather and transmit real-time earthquake information, improve the province's earthquake monitor capabilities and push forward the scientific research on earthquake.

"We also plan to make the alarms available to all villages via radio broadcasting system so as to remind villagers to take self-rescue measures when an earthquake happens in the first time," Su said.

Earthquake research has found that being aware of an earthquake three seconds beforehand can save 14 percent of casualties, 10 seconds can save 39 percent of casualties and 20 seconds can save 63 percent of casualties.