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/