China builds largest quake early warning system

(ECNS) -- China has finished building the world’s largest earthquake early warning system, shortening the delivery of earthquake information from a minute to a few seconds after an earthquake starts, said Min Yiren, head of the China Earthquake Administration (CEA), on Thursday at a press conference.

China has vigorously promoted the construction of an earthquake early warning network in recent years, aiming to inform the public of upcoming earthquakes with a countdown in seconds and report the seismic intensity of an earthquake within a minute of its occurrence, said Min.

The earthquake early warning network now covers over 15,000 monitoring stations, three national centers, 31 provincial centers and 173 prefectural and municipal information release centers.

The main construction task has been completed and put into trial operation in southwest China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, north China’s Beijing and Tianjin municipalities and Hebei Province, and east China’s Fujian Province, according to Min.

After a devastating earthquake took place, the early warning network will release information through various channels such as emergency broadcasts, mobile phones, TV and special terminals, so as to provide the public in the target area with up to tens of seconds to escape from the disaster.