A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Gansu province, killing at least 118 people, marking the country’s deadliest quake in 13 years.
The tremor, hitting late Monday, caused extensive devastation in the mountainous region, affecting neighboring Qinghai as well.
President Xi Jinping swiftly ordered thousands of rescue workers to aid the affected area, a region known for its diversity and economic struggles.
Reports highlighted the grim scenes of villages torn apart, buildings collapsed, and displaced residents enduring freezing temperatures as low as -13C (-8.7F).
Survivors likened the experience to being ‘tossed by surging waves,’ hastily evacuating their homes amid the chaos.
The damage was exacerbated by poor building quality in the villages, with many structures being old and made of clay.
Gansu, situated between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus, is among China’s poorest and ethnically diverse regions.
The quake’s epicenter in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture impacted various Chinese Muslim groups, including the Hui, Bonan, Dongxiang, and Salar people.
Rescue operations faced challenges due to disrupted power and water supplies across the region.
President Xi emphasized the urgency of rescue efforts in the sub-zero conditions, stressing the importance of minimizing casualties and treating the injured promptly.
China’s susceptibility to earthquakes, given its position amid several tectonic plates, has led to previous tragedies.
In 2010, a devastating quake in Qinghai claimed nearly 2,700 lives, while a 6.6-magnitude quake last September in Sichuan resulted in over 60 fatalities.
This recent disaster underscores the ongoing vulnerability of certain regions in China to seismic events and the critical need for swift and effective response measures.”
Source-BBC
