A significant earthquake, measuring 5.9, occurred in Gansu Province around midnight. People rushed out of their homes and gathered outside in the cold, making fires to stay warm.
In northwestern China, a significant earthquake occurred while people were sleeping, resulting in the unfortunate loss of at least 120 lives. Buildings collapsed, forcing residents to flee into the cold night. Rescuers were searching for survivors in rural Jishishan County in Gansu Province, the epicenter of the quake, officials from Gansu said at a news conference on Tuesday. They said the quake, which struck at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, had killed 113 people in the province and injured more than 500 others.
Rescuers are actively searching for survivors in the rural area of Jishishan County in Gansu Province, which was the epicenter of the earthquake. Gansu officials provided information at a news conference on Tuesday, stating that the quake occurred late on Monday night, resulting in 113 people losing their lives in the province, with over 500 others sustaining injuries.
Thirteen individuals lost their lives in Haidong city, Qinghai Province, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
The earthquake measured 5.9 according to the United States Geological Survey, while the China Earthquake Administration recorded it as 6.2. Images and videos from state media displayed collapsed houses and bedrooms covered in debris. Hours after the earthquake, rescuers were still working to assist people, as mentioned by CCTV, the state broadcaster.
The earthquake messed up 15,000 houses and caused issues with water, electricity, and transportation in parts of Gansu. This area, like many places in the country, is experiencing really cold weather. According to state media, it was almost -20 degrees Celsius, or about -4 degrees Fahrenheit, in Jishishan when the earthquake happened.
Residents, talking to the media, shared how they were suddenly woken up and had to quickly go outside in the cold, grabbing just a few extra clothes. Pictures show people in a plaza wrapped in thick blankets.
Individuals at the earthquake site shared on social media that they created bonfires in their yards or burned cardboard boxes to stay warm. They talked about the shock of discovering that neighbors or friends had passed away and trying to assess the damage to their homes.
Residents mentioned to Jimu News that they might spend the night in their cars, driving away from the earthquake center. In Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu, located 100 miles away, a college student shared with The Paper that the closets in her eighth-floor dorm shook, and students felt aftershocks as they hurried downstairs from the initial quake.
Despite the cold, a few people risked going back into the building later to grab more clothing, as mentioned by the student.
On Tuesday morning, rescue workers quickly set up tents in the main squares of villages affected by the earthquake, according to CCTV. They were in a rush to deliver tens of thousands of cots, blankets, mattresses, and coats.
Villagers live-streaming on social media on Tuesday reassured each other that they would rebuild together.
Gansu is known as one of the poorest areas in China, and Jishishan County is mainly made up of small towns and villages with around 260,000 people, according to a local official who spoke to party-affiliated media. The official, Li Yong, mentioned that the local government doesn’t have sufficient clothes, blankets, or shoes and will need help from the provincial government.
In 2020, officials in the province officially declared that Jishishan was no longer considered “poverty-stricken” as part of a nationwide effort to eliminate rural poverty by the end of that year.
Since 1900, as reported by state media, China has measured three significant earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or higher within a 120-mile radius of where the earthquake occurred on Monday. In parts of Gansu where the earthquake occurred, earthquakes are known to happen because the area is in a zone stretching from Mongolia in the north to Myanmar in the south. A professor named Xu Xiwei shared this information. He also mentioned that many houses in this area might not be strong enough for earthquakes. Because the quake happened late at night, it was likely harder for people to escape, leading to more injuries and problems.
The State Council and the National Health Commission, which are like big government groups in China, sent teams to assist with rescues. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, acknowledged that the disaster occurred in a place with high altitudes and cold weather. He instructed workers to fix things quickly.
On Tuesday at 9:46 a.m., another earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 occurred in China, specifically in the far western region of Xinjiang, about 1,800 miles west of Jishishan. We still don’t have information about any injuries or issues caused by this earthquake.