Wooden homes help keep quake casualty figures down

Wooden houses spared an earthquake-prone area in Yunnan province from a higher number of casualties following a quake on Tuesday night, according to a provincial official.

Huang Fugang, director of the Yunnan provincial earthquake administration, said on Wednesday that the houses are mainly made from wood and have a good chance of withstanding earthquakes.

The magnitude-6.6 quake, with a depth of 5 km, struck at 9:49 pm on Tuesday. At least one person was killed and 336 others were injured. The casualties were reported mainly from Jinggu county, the quake epicenter.