Earthquake kills more than 100 in north-west China

[CharlieH]

 

At least 116 people have been killed and another 220 injured following an earthquake on Monday night in north-west China, state media report.

Chinese authorities said the 6.2 magnitude quake struck Gansu province around midnight (16:00 GMT) and also affected neighbouring Qinghai.

Thousands of rescuers are braving freezing conditions to try and help people in the high-altitude area.

A second quake struck neighbouring Xinjiang hours later on Tuesday.

The damage from that 5.5 magnitude strike was not immediately clear.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered full rescue efforts to Gansu, one of China's poorest regions. Jishishan county appears to be the worst-hit area.

 

 

Gansu lies between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus and borders Mongolia. The Monday night quake struck the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, an administrative region for China's Muslim Hui people.

Chinese authorities said the quake measured 6.2 on the richter scale, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a magnitude of 5.9 and depth of 10km (six miles). About 10 aftershocks have taken place, local authorities reported.

Footage showed hospitals receiving patients, and rescuers searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings. Debris was also seen on the floors of rooms whose ceilings had partially collapsed.

 

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