According to reports from China’s state media, over 131 individuals lost their lives following a seismic event measuring 6.2 in magnitude that occurred in the mountainous region of northwestern China.
The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) additionally noted a subsequent earthquake hitting the Xinjiang region, though confirmation of casualties or injuries resulting from this event is yet to be established.
Official reports from Xinhua News Agency state that 113 fatalities occurred due to the initial quake in Gansu province, with an additional 18 deaths in the neighboring Qinghai province.
Nearly 980 people sustained injuries, while 16 individuals remain missing.
President Xi Jinping has urged comprehensive search and rescue operations to mitigate further casualties.
The earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 5.9 according to the US Geological Survey, struck near the Gansu-Qinghai provincial boundary.
Significant damage to infrastructure, including water and electricity lines, transportation, and communication networks, has been reported by China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, experienced tremors from the quake, prompting university students to evacuate their dormitories.
Relief supplies such as tents, beds, and quilts are being dispatched to the affected area.
This recent seismic activity adds to China’s history of devastating earthquakes, including a 2008 quake in Sichuan that claimed nearly 90,000 lives, underscoring the ongoing efforts to reconstruct using more resilient materials.
