• Sichuan-quake.jpg

Sichuan-quake.jpg (Photo : Reuters)

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake that shook China's Sichuan Province on Saturday caused less damage than other quakes of a similar strength in the past, according to the government.

The earthquake, which killed five people and injured 65 others, did relatively little damage because its epicenter was located in a mountainous place that has a relatively small population, according to a statement issued by the China Earthquake Administration on Tuesday.

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Calamities resulting from the earthquake, such as landslides, were not numerous because of little human activity in the area, the statement added, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The administration also attributed the limited loss of life and destruction in the hardest hit areas, Kangding and Daofu counties, to their preparedness for such disasters as a result of having been hit by many serious quakes in the past.

Wooden structures in the counties are reported to have been constructed in a way that would make them survive earthquakes.

In the statement, the administration hailed the local government's capability to effectively respond during times of calamities.

The province was also said to have been carrying out needed tasks after the quake to ensure safety.

More than 80,000 people perished in the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Sichuan's Wenchuan County on May 12, 2008, and 196 people were killed by the 7.0-magnitude quake in Lushan County on April 20, 2013.