Chengdu in Sichuan Province has started constructing the country's first urban earthquake early warning system, local authorities announced on July 11.

The system is expected to provide the public with timely information so they can avoid danger before destructive seismic waves arrive, said Wang Dun, Director of the Institute of Care-Life, a Chengdu-based organization that studies earthquakes.

There is no exact timetable for the completion of the system. It will go into operation after all related rules, technology and conditions have matured.

Early warnings will be publicized through a variety of channels, including local television stations, mobile phone messages and the Internet. The information will also be provided to subway and high-speed railway authorities so that they can halt services in response to possible danger.

Fifty-seven early warning stations are scheduled to be completed within this year. Most of the facilities will be located on fault zones. The warning system will use radio waves to detect comparatively slower seismic waves before they reach urban areas.