More than 115 dead in earthquake in northwest China
The state news agency Xinhua reported that the 6.2-magnitude quake caused severe devastation and destroyed houses. People ran into the streets to get to safety. According to the report, the power and water supply was interrupted in several villages in the region.
The US earthquake observatory USGS initially gave the magnitude of the quake as 6.0 and later as 5.9. The epicenter was around 100 kilometers southwest of Gansu's provincial capital Lanzhou.
"I was scared to death," said a woman in a video published on a social media account of the newspaper "People's Daily". "Look how my hands and legs are shaking." Masses of earth from a mountain fell onto the roof of her house shortly after she ran out of the building, she said.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, more than 1,400 rescue workers were dispatched to the earthquake region, with a further 1,600 on standby. Drinking water, blankets, stoves and instant noodles were brought to the region.
China's head of state Xi Jinping called for everything to be done to save people. The President also warned of the freezing temperatures in the high-altitude region.
China is repeatedly shaken by earthquakes, some of which are devastating. In 2008, a magnitude 7.9 quake in Sichuan province killed more than 87,000 people. In September 2022, almost a hundred people were killed in an earthquake, also in Sichuan.
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- The US earthquake station USGS later updated the magnitude of the northwest China earthquake to 5.9, from its initial 6.0.
- The 115 casualties reported by Xinhua were primarily due to the collapse of buildings in the affected area, according to local authorities.
- The 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Gansu's northwest region also caused disruptions in electricity supply, affecting residents in nearby villages.
- The power outage in the aftermath of the earthquake left many individuals stranded in their homes without proper heating, as temperatures in the region frequently drop below freezing, as President Xi Jinping warned.
- According to the USGS, the epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Xinhua's specified location, closer to Qinghai province's border with Gansu.
- With more than 1,400 rescue workers on the ground and an additional 1,600 on standby, the Chinese government mobilized its resources to manage the aftermath of the earthquake, providing essential supplies to the affected areas.
- As a result of the earthquake, China's national electricity grid experienced a power loss in parts of the Gansu and Qinghai provinces, leading to an interruption of supply in the stated regions.
Source: www.stern.de
