A strong earthquake rocked the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai in northwest China on Monday, killing over 111 people and injuring hundreds more. The quake, which had a magnitude of 5.9 and a depth of 10 km (six miles), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), also damaged thousands of buildings and disrupted essential services in some areas.
The epicenter of the quake was located near Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, about 300 km (186 miles) northwest of the provincial capital of Lanzhou. The quake occurred at 16:00 GMT (00:00 local time) and was felt as far away as Beijing, more than 1,000 km (621 miles) to the east.
The quake triggered landslides and rockfalls, blocking roads and hampering rescue efforts. Many people were trapped under the rubble of collapsed houses, schools, hospitals and other buildings. Some residents said they had no time to escape and had to dig themselves out with their bare hands.
The worst-hit area was Gansu province, where state media agency Xinhua reported 100 people were killed and 96 were injured. The quake also killed 11 people and injured 124 in neighboring Qinghai province. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers reach more remote and isolated villages.
The Chinese government has mobilized thousands of soldiers, police, firefighters and medical workers to join the rescue and relief operations. The
President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to the victims and their families and urged all-out efforts to save lives and minimize losses. He also ordered the authorities to ensure the safety of key infrastructure and public facilities, such as dams, power plants and railways.
The quake was the deadliest in China since the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed nearly 90,000 people. China is prone to earthquakes due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which creates seismic activity along the country’s western and southwestern regions.
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