SEISMIC warning terminals will be installed in more than 10 schools in Shenzhen next year, and the city has set up 149 outdoor shelters for earthquake emergencies.

Shenzhen is located in the middle of China’s southeast coast seismic zone, which could be affected by a destructive earthquake. Since the establishment of the Guangdong seismic network in 1982, the city has recorded 87 earthquakes, including 38 of magnitude 2 and seven of magnitude 3. The strongest earthquake ever to affect Shenzhen registered magnitude 3.9.

Zou Congxue, director with the earthquake and geological disaster department of the city’s emergency management bureau, said Shenzhen has discovered three more fault zones this year, namely the Henggang-Luohu, Liantang and Wentang-Guanlan fault zones. The seismic department found the Yantian, Jiuweiling and Shiziyang fault zones last year.

Shenzhen generally feels a quake tremor once every two years. The seismic network indicates tremors are generally located in the Dapeng Peninsula and Shenzhen Bay areas near the Pearl River estuary.

The city will designate 303 outdoor shelters by 2020.

At least 13 people died and 199 were injured in the magnitude-6 Yibin earthquake in Sichuan Province on Monday night. Yibin received a warning 10 seconds in advance, while Chengdu received a warning 61 seconds in advance. Research shows the number of casualties can be reduced by 14 percent if a warning is issued three seconds in advance. The figure will be reduced by 39 percent and 63 percent if the warning is issued 10 seconds and 20 seconds in advance, respectively.

(Liu Jieyu)