(Beijing) An earthquake killed at least 111 people overnight in northwest China’s Gansu province, where rescue teams were searching for survivors in the rubble, state media reported. Status Tuesday.
The earthquake, measuring 5.9 magnitude according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), also caused significant damage, collapsing houses and forcing residents to flee into the street, said the state agency Chine Nouvelle.
The epicenter of the earthquake is located approximately 1,300 km southwest of Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all possible efforts” to be made in search and rescue operations that began early Tuesday, and to ensure the safety of survivors and their properties.
The earthquake occurred about 1,300 km southwest of Beijing, in Gansu province, and near the border with Qinghai province. It was followed by numerous smaller tremors.
At least a hundred people were killed and many others injured in Gansu province after the powerful earthquake, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the provincial earthquake relief headquarters.
Eleven other people were also killed and around 100 injured in the city of Haidong, in neighboring Qinghai province, according to CCTV.
The channel showed footage of emergency vehicles heading toward the crash site, flashing lights on, along snow-covered highways.
On board trucks, rescue workers dressed in jumpsuits stood shoulder to shoulder in the trucks, with other images showing them lined up in rows to receive instructions.
Other footage showed emergency personnel searching through debris by torchlight and unfolding orange stretchers for the injured.
Freezing temperatures
Temperatures fell well below freezing in northern China, and footage from one of the worst-hit areas broadcast on CCTV showed residents warming themselves near a fire as emergency services set up shelters. tents
Videos posted on social networks show destroyed ceilings and rubble.
The water and electricity supply was interrupted in some villages, according to the Chine Nouvelle agency.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers at 11:59 p.m. local time Monday (10:59 a.m. Eastern), according to the USGS, which revised the magnitude down after initially announcing 6 ,0.
According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred about 100 kilometers southwest of Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, and was followed by several other smaller earthquakes.
Earthquakes are relatively common in China. In August, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in eastern China injured 23 people and destroyed dozens of buildings.
In September 2022, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in Sichuan province caused the death of nearly 100 people.
And a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in 2008 left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 schoolchildren.