5.6 Magnitude Earthquake in Oklahoma

When do you hear of an earthquake striking Oklahoma? Not very often, the last earthquake to stike that part of the US was back in 1952. 
A rare 5.6 earthquake, considered to be the strongest in this area shooked Oklahoma residents late Saturday reportedly causing damage but no injuries. After initially putting the magnitude of the temblor at 5.2, the US Geological Survey revised the strength of the seismic event, the second of the day, saying it had reached magnitude 5.6. The first 4.7-magnitude jolt was reported north of the town of Prague early Saturday. The epicentre of the later tremor, which occurred at 10:53 PM was located just 6km east of the town of Sparks at a depth of 5km. The Lincoln County Emergency Management agency was reporting significant damage, but its extent was not immediately clear. Portions of federal highway 62 buckled and the chimney on a two-story house collapsed near the town of Prague. Other buildings were also damaged. "It was a pretty ornery little earthquake." The Oklahoman newspaper said the quake was felt as far away as north Texas. No injuries were reported to emergency management officials, but a lot of people were scared.

http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_n46/oklahoma-quake-earthquake.html

Damage Reported in One of Two Earthquakes in China

At least 50 homes in China were destroyed by a moderate earthquake that struck the northwestern part of the country early Tuesday. The US Geological Survey says a 5.4 magnitude quake struck Xinjiang province between the border areas of Yining and Gongliu counties, at a depth of 27 kilometers. The quake was initially measured at 6.0 magnitude. Emergency crews have been dispatched to the area to assess the damage. So far, there are no reports of casualties. A separate earthquake measuring 5.5 magnitude struck Tuesday morning in China's southwestern Sichuan region. In 2008, a 7.9 magintude killed 90,000 people in in Sichuan area.
This in interesting due to the fact the only homes were destoyed and no lives were. When you look at this and compare it to the 2008 earthquake, this is a small comparison. Yes, the magnitude was higher in the 2008 incident but why were there no deaths in yesterdays earthquake? Was it because the were warned ahead of time? Was it because they had better infasrtucture? Did the people in the 2008 die from the earthquake itself or was it the time after the earthquake? Or was it just simply that the quake magitude was the main factor?  What are your reasons?

http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/11/01/damage-reported-in-one-of-two-earthquakes-in-china/