China to build earthquake monitoring and warning system

BEIJING: China, frequently hit by earthquakes, is now planning to build a national earthquake monitoring and warning system within five years to deal with the natural disaster.

"While the system would never be able to forecast an earthquake, it could detect quakes and notify people within seconds before seismic waves actually hit them," said a China Earthquake Administration official.

He added that within five years, a national earthquake monitoring and warning system will be developed.

Timely warnings may effectively reduce casualties and economic losses resulting from earthquakes, official said to state-run news agency Xinhua.

"The project has been filed with the country's top economic planner for approval and includes the establishment of some 5,000 stations across the country with 2 billion yuan (about USD 320.4 million) funds," he said.

He added that a trial programme with nearly 100 monitoring stations is currently being carried out in southeast China's Fujian Province.