Shruti Suman
A seismic event registering 6.2 on the Richter scale has claimed the lives of at least 116 individuals in the mountainous terrain of northwestern China. Officials from Gansu Province reported in a news conference on Tuesday that rescuers are diligently searching for survivors in the rural Jishishan County, the epicenter of the quake. Striking at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, the earthquake has resulted in 105 casualties in the province, with nearly 400 others sustaining injuries. Additionally, 11 fatalities were reported in the city of Haidong in the neighboring Qinghai Province, as per the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
The epicenter, Liugou Township, is situated approximately 8 km from the county seat of Jishishan Bao’an, Dongxiang, Salar Autonomous County in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu. The impact of the earthquake was strongly felt in the cities of Xining and Haidong in Qinghai, causing some houses to collapse and crack. The reported casualties have primarily occurred in Gansu and the adjacent Qinghai.
The aftermath of the earthquakes has left a path of destruction, compelling emergency teams to sift through rubble in their efforts to rescue those trapped. A video capturing the precise moment of one of the earthquake’s impacts has emerged online, providing a glimpse of the terrifying force that shook buildings and homes throughout the affected region.
The provincial fire and rescue department has mobilized 580 rescuers, supported by 88 fire engines, 12 search and rescue dogs, and over 10,000 sets of equipment to the disaster area. The railway authority has taken precautionary measures by suspending passenger and cargo trains passing through the quake zone and ordering a safety check of the tracks.
In Dahejia Township, where the temperature plummeted to 16 degrees Celsius below zero at dawn, more than 140 medical staff at a local hospital are tirelessly caring for the injured. Some of the patients also have loved ones who remain uncontactable in the aftermath of the earthquake.
