--- description: Infrastructure and buildings in remote area of Yunnan province left in ruins after huge temblor title: PHOTOS: Earthquake in China Kills At Least 589 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt043b5540192b91e5/69869e57810bbb0eb7c92e0b/china-earthquake-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Earthquake in China Kills at Least 589 by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 4, 2014 6:12 PM CUT  An injured child walks past rescuers heading towards the epicenter of an earthquake that struck the town of Longtoushan in Ludian county in southwest China's Yunnan province, Aug. 4, 2014 An injured child walks past rescuers heading towards the epicenter of an earthquake that struck the town of Longtoushan in Ludian county in southwest China's Yunnan province, Aug. 4, 2014AP by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) ## TIME Photo Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 4, 2014 6:12 PM CUT Update: Aug. 6, 10:05 a.m. ET At least 589 people were [killed](http://time.com/3084805/death-toll-in-southern-china-quake-rises-to-589-yunnan/ "undefined") after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake [hit a rural area](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-28635027 "undefined") of Yunnan province on Aug. 3, causing several buildings to collapse. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was less than a mile below the ground.  An injured child walks past rescuers heading towards the epicenter of an earthquake that struck the town of Longtoushan in Ludian county in southwest China's Yunnan province, Aug. 4, 2014 AP  A helicopter flies above collapsed houses after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Longtoushan town, Ludian county, Zhaotong, Yunnan province on Aug. 4, 2014. China Stringer Network/Reuters  Rescuers cary an injured person in the quake-hit Longtoushan Town of Ludian County in Zhaotong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province on Aug. 4, 2014. Xue Yubin—Xinhua/Sipa  Rescue workers are transported into an earthquake zone on a front loader in Ludian county, Zhaotong, Yunnan province, August 5, 2014. Wong Campion—Reuters  Liu Jiali (front L) cries as his daughter (C) wipes his tear after an earthquake killed Liu's wife and two other children in Longtoushan township of Ludian county, Yunnan province on Aug. 4, 2014. Wong Campion—Reuters  A helicopter flies over rescue workers at the epicenter of Sunday's earthquake that struck the town of Longtoushan in Ludian County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 4, 2014. AP  Rescuers search for survivors as they walk among debris of collapsed buildings after an earthquake hit Longtoushan township of Ludian county, Yunnan provinceon Aug. 4, 2014. Wong Campion—Reuters  Rescuers carry an injured boy on a makeshift stretcher after an earthquake hit Longtoushan township of Ludian county, Yunnan province on Aug. 4, 2014. Wong Campion—Reuters  Paramilitary policemen evacuate an injured man after a deadly earthquake hit Longtoushan town, Ludian county, Zhaotong, Yunnan province on Aug. 3, 2014. China Daily/Reuters  Children are treated at a hospital in Ludian county, after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Zhaotong, Yunnan province on Aug. 3, 2014. China Stringer Network/Reuters  Rescuers and a villager walk past rubbles from destroyed houses following a massive earthquake in the town of Longtoushan in Ludian County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 5, 2014. Andy Wong—AP  Rescuers search for buried people at the quake-hit area on Aug. 4, 2014 in Zhaotong, China. A 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Zhaotong's Ludian county on Sunday, killing at least 398 people. ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images  A man holds a picture as he stands among debris of collapsed buildings after an earthquake hit Longtoushan township of Ludian county, Yunnan provinceon Aug. 4, 2014. Wong Campion—Reuters ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3079603/china-earthquake-yunnan-province/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3079603/china-earthquake-yunnan-province/"},"headline":"Earthquake in China Kills at Least 589","datePublished":"2014-08-04T18:12:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:07:57.397Z","description":"Infrastructure and buildings in remote area of Yunnan province left in ruins after huge temblor","url":"https://time.com/3079603/china-earthquake-yunnan-province/","keywords":["China","natural disaster","Earthquake"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt043b5540192b91e5/69869e57810bbb0eb7c92e0b/china-earthquake-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Photo","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-photo/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt043b5540192b91e5/69869e57810bbb0eb7c92e0b/china-earthquake-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"China Earthquake","caption":"An injured child walks past rescuers heading towards the epicenter of an earthquake that struck the town of Longtoushan in Ludian county in southwest China's Yunnan province, Aug. 4, 2014","creditText":"AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3079603/china-earthquake-yunnan-province/","name":"Earthquake in China Kills at Least 589"}}]}] ```