On the 12th May 2008 at 2:28pm, the pressure resulting from the Indian Plate colliding with the Eurasian Plate was released along the Longmeshan fault line that runs beneath Sichuan.
This led to an Earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale, with tremors lasting 120 seconds.
Effects of the Earthquake
The death toll was stated at 69,000 two months after the earthquake.
Between 5-11 million people becamehomeless.
In rural areas near the epicentre, such as Beichaun county, 80% of buildings collapsed.
The Wenchaun county at the epicentre was cut off by landslides.
In Dujiangyan, 900 students were killed when Juyuan middle school collapsed.
In Shifang, chemical plants collapsed, killing hundreds and spilling toxic ammonia.
About 100km away from the epicentre, in the provincial capital Chengdu, power and water supplies were cut, but there were few deaths.
About a total of 5 million buildings collapsed.
Some 374,000 people were injured.
Immediate Responses
Troops parachuted into Wenchuan to assess the situation, and hiked on foot, as landslides had made roads inaccessible.
The production of tents was increased, as 3.3 million were needed to house people made homeless by the earthquake, and to protect them from the spring rains. Areas of land were flattened so they could be erected.
More than £100 million were donated to the Red Cross in the fortnight after. This mainly went into running camps, ensuring that food, medicine and doctors were available, that tents had blankets and mattresses, and that there were volunteers available.
Twenty helicopters were assigned to rescue and relief efforts in Wenchuan, which was cut off by landslides.
Large scale efforts were made to free trapped survivors from collapsed buildings, which the army troops drafted in helped with.
Teams from Japan, Russia and South Korea joined the rescue effort, for example freeing trapped survivors.
Long Term Responses
One million temporary homes to house those that had lost theirs were expected to be put up in the next three years.
Banks wrote off debt owed by survivors who didn't have insurance.
The Chinese government pledged a $10 million rebuilding fund, to go towards rebuilding collapsed edifices and the one million temporary homes.