Over 100 killed in China’s deadliest quake in 13 years
At least 118 people have been killed in north-west China in the country’s deadliest earthquake in 13 years.
The 6.2 magnitude quake hit mountainous Gansu province around midnight on Monday (16:00 GMT), also shaking neighbouring Qinghai.
Fatalities may rise with hundreds reported injured in icy conditions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered thousands of rescue crew to the region, among the poorest and most diverse in China.
Residents who fled their homes were also shown huddling over makeshift fires at hastily erected evacuation camps. Temperatures hit -13C (8.7F) on Tuesday, Chinese media reported.
“I woke my family up and we rushed down all 16 floors in one breath,” said one man named Mr Qin by Chinese outlets.
Local officials in Jishishan county, the worst hit in Gansu province, said more than 5,000 buildings in the area had been damaged.
Chinese media quoted a director of the Gansu rescue team, who attributed the widescale damage to poor building quality in the villages – many homes being old and made of clay.
Gansu lies between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus and borders Mongolia. The remote region is one of China’s poorest and most ethnically diverse.
The epicentre of the quake was in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, home to many Chinese Muslim groups, including the Hui, Bonan, Dongxiang and Salar people.
On Tuesday, Xinjiang, the province west of Gansu, also recorded a 5.5 magnitude quake – but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Read more on BBC
Disclaimer:
The Views,Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements expressed by Readers and Contributors on this website do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Wohonsem.com. Wohonsem.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us.
