BEIJING. A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck northwestern China just before midnight on Monday, resulting in at least 127 casualties, making it the deadliest quake in the country in nine years. The quake wreaked havoc in the mountainous regions of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, leaving more than 700 people injured and causing widespread destruction.
The China Earthquake Networks Center reported that the earthquake occurred at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) in Gansu’s Jishishan county, approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the provincial boundary with Qinghai. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the magnitude at 5.9. The tremors damaged roads, disrupted power and communication lines, and triggered at least one landslide.
State broadcaster CCTV disclosed that 113 fatalities were confirmed in Gansu, with another 536 reported injuries. In Qinghai, an area north of the epicenter, 14 people lost their lives, and 198 sustained injuries, according to the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party.
As emergency responders conducted search and rescue operations amid collapsed buildings and landslides, those who lost their homes were forced to endure a freezing winter night in tents at hastily set-up evacuation sites. The earthquake’s shallow depth and mainly vertical movement contributed to the severity of the destruction, along with the lower quality of buildings in the relatively poor area.
Afraid of aftershocks, residents spent the night in makeshift camps. Ma Dongdong, who lost parts of his house and his milk tea shop, expressed anxiety, stating, “I just feel anxious, what other feelings could there be?” He, along with his family and neighbors, spent the night in a field, making a fire to stay warm.
Emergency authorities in Gansu called for 300 additional workers for search and rescue operations, and Qinghai officials reported 20 people missing in a landslide. The earthquake’s impact extended to Lanzhou, the Gansu provincial capital, where students hastily evacuated dormitories.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for an all-out search and rescue effort to minimize casualties. The China Meteorological Administration reported an overnight low of minus 15 to minus 9 degrees Celsius (5 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit) in the affected area. Tents, folding beds, and quilts were dispatched to the disaster area, with a plea for generators, long coats, and fuel for stoves.
At least 4,000 firefighters, soldiers, and police officers were mobilized for the rescue effort, and the People’s Liberation Army Western Theatre established a command post to coordinate operations. The China Meteorological Administration urged sending halal food due to the ethnic makeup of the affected population.
This tragic event marks the deadliest earthquake in China since the August 2014 quake in Yunnan province, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated rescue efforts and support for the affected communities.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
