The Qujing Highway Bureau in Yunnan swiftly conducts a safety hazard inspection following the 3.1 magnitude earthquake in Shizong.

According to the official measurement by the China Earthquake Networks Center, a 3.1-magnitude earthquake occurred in Shizong County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province, at 10:27 a.m. on July 20, with a focal depth of 9 kilometers. The epicenter was located at 24.58 degrees north latitude and 104.28 degrees east longitude. Townships such as Gaoliang and Wulong in Shizong County felt the tremor significantly.

After the earthquake, the Qujing Highway Bureau immediately deployed the Shizong Highway Sub-bureau to conduct a comprehensive post-earthquake safety hazard inspection. This included a thorough inspection of managed highways, bridge structures, and roadside service facilities, as well as checking the safety of office buildings and maintenance station structures. The focus was on identifying secondary earthquake risks such as slope collapses and bridge structure damage, ensuring full coverage of road sections, bridges, and stations without leaving any blind spots.

"We promptly initiated hazard inspections, focusing on key areas such as high slopes, bridge bearings, and expansion joints, conducting point-by-point checks to ensure early detection and resolution of post-earthquake hazards," said a relevant official from the Shizong Highway Sub-bureau.

As of 4:00 p.m. on the same day, a total of 16 personnel and 4 vehicles had been deployed for post-earthquake hazard inspections, covering approximately 167.7 kilometers of managed highways and inspecting 10 bridges. The inspections revealed that the road surfaces of ordinary national and provincial trunk highways in the jurisdiction were smooth and passable, and the structures of bridges and other transportation infrastructure were stable and functioning normally, with no damage, displacement, or other earthquake-related issues. The safety of sub-bureau employees was ensured, and there was no structural damage to office buildings or maintenance stations. No road blockages, injuries, or property damage occurred.

Currently, during the main flood season, the combination of earthquakes and heavy rainfall significantly increases the risk of geological disasters such as landslides and collapses, putting greater pressure on highway safety risk prevention and control. The Qujing Highway Bureau continues to reinforce its emergency response responsibilities, strictly implementing a 24-hour flood season duty system. The bureau's emergency command system remains in a state of constant activation, with rescue teams, machinery, and emergency supplies all on standby.

In the next step, the Qujing Highway Bureau will continue to increase the frequency of dynamic road inspections, closely monitoring high slopes, areas near water and cliffs, and aging bridges. Real-time monitoring of road safety hazards will be conducted to safeguard the safety of public travel through round-the-clock, comprehensive emergency management.