5.2-magnitude earthquake kills two in China

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Beijing: A 5.2-magnitude earthquake has struck south China's Guangxi region, leaving two people dead and another missing.

The tremor hit Liuzhou city just after midnight on Monday, triggering the mass evacuation of more than 7,000 residents as citizens fled high-rise buildings. State broadcaster CCTV has identified the victims as a married couple, aged 63 and 53.

The powerful quake caused at least 13 buildings to collapse entirely, reducing homes to piles of rubble.

Emergency crews wearing helmets are currently on the scene using heavy earthmovers to clear the wreckage, while search and rescue teams trudge through the debris with sniffer dogs in an ongoing effort to locate the missing person.

This latest disaster follows a devastating tremor in the remote Tibet region last January, which claimed at least 126 lives.