Beijing 'circle' installs earthquake early warning system   

中国首都圈地震预警系统启用

(ECNS) – As of Wednesday, people in China's capital circle will be alerted seven seconds before an impending earthquake takes place through mobile apps, social media and television.

The system covers a quake-prone area of over 50,000 square miles including Beijing, Tianjin and cities in Hebei and Shanxi provinces.

The system could save lives and reduce property damage. Time saved can be used to alert people to seek safety, slow down trains before rails break, or stop elevators and let people out.

Wang Tun, one of the developers of the system, said the advanced technology can detect quakes one second faster than Japan.

However, the system isn't perfect. First of all, it's expensive and requires millions of dollars to operate each year.

Second, it's not always effective. On May 5, Japan's early warning system failed to send a signal before a magnitude-6.2 earthquake rattled Tokyo, because the epicenter was too deep.

Sun Shihong, another developer of the system, said more study is needed before deciding whether the system will be implemented nationwide.