At 00:21 and 21:44 on May 18, two magnitude-5.2 earthquakes struck Liunan District of Liuzhou, Guangxi, causing damage to parts of the local infrastructure. Relevant CREC-affiliated units in the area responded immediately and launched emergency rescue and disaster relief operations.
The earthquakes caused ground settlement and rail deformation along sections of the Liuzhou segment of the Guizhou-Guangxi railway. Damage was particularly severe around Taiyangcun Station, near the epicenter, where signal equipment cabinets shifted and loosened, power supply facilities were damaged, and railway operational safety was seriously threatened.
Upon receiving an emergency response order from the Liuzhou Construction Command of China Railway Nanning Bureau Group, the LWZH-1 Section Project of the newly constructed Liuzhou–Wuzhou Railway, undertaken by the Electrification Engineering Company of China Railway No.3 Engineering Group, immediately activated its earthquake emergency response plan. The project team rapidly mobilized personnel, equipment, and supplies, assembling 105 emergency responders, deploying seven rescue vehicles and two aerial work platforms, and equipping teams with specialized repair tools and materials including optical cable testers and overhead catenary grounding devices. The rescue force rushed overnight to Taiyangcun Station and launched intensive post-earthquake emergency restoration operations. As of press time, emergency repair work at Taiyangcun Station had been completed.
Several project teams of the Fifth Engineering Company of Shanghai Civil Engineering Co,.Ltd. Of CREC in the Liuzhou area responded swiftly, coordinating closely with the Liuzhou Track Maintenance Section and volunteering for emergency restoration efforts. They undertook the critical task of foundation grouting and reinforcement along damaged railway sections. To date, 101 management and operational personnel have been deployed, together with five major pieces of equipment including excavators and loaders, six subgrade grouting units, three generator sets, and other emergency supplies and machinery.
Units under China Railway Communications Investment Group leveraged available highway resources to support affected communities. Relief measures included setting up “Blessings for Liuzhou” donation booths at selected service areas, organizing charity sales, establishing assistance stations and temporary shelters, and collecting emergency supplies such as bottled water, instant noodles, and medicines. At the same time, professional technical teams were immediately dispatched to conduct comprehensive post-earthquake inspections and flood-prevention assessments across managed highways. Following the principle of leaving no blind spots, overlooking no hazards, and taking no chances, the teams focused on examining critical structures including bridges, tunnels, roadbeds, and slopes.
The GLWHSG1 Section Project of the Guilin Outer Ring Expressway Railway-Related Works, undertaken by China Railway Construction Engineering Group, donated 42 cases each of bottled water, instant noodles, and milk to Batangtun of Tangbao Village in Yongfu County, Guilin, helping replenish essential supplies for local residents following the earthquake. The project also urgently deployed two excavators and one bulldozer as emergency support equipment for village-level disaster response operations. In addition, the project team assisted the village committee in converting an unused school playground into a standardized emergency shelter, clearing evacuation routes and refuge areas, repairing and widening emergency access roads, and installing five emergency shelter signs to ensure smooth emergency response access. Meanwhile, seven young volunteers were dispatched to local communities to promote earthquake preparedness and disaster prevention knowledge through village radio broadcasts, on-site presentations, and educational materials, covering topics such as aftershock precautions, emergency evacuation procedures, and self- and mutual-aid techniques.
