Earthquake Hits China Leaving 100+ Dead

Earthquake Hits China Leaving 100+ Dead, Late on Monday, just a minute before midnight, Jishishan county, situated on the border between Gansu and Qinghai provinces, experienced a powerful magnitude-6.2 earthquake. This seismic event forcibly displaced alarmed residents from their homes into the chilling darkness of the night. The consequences were dire, as it caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including roads, power lines, water supplies, and agricultural facilities. Moreover, the earthquake triggered dangerous land and mudslides, compounding the challenges faced by the affected regions.

As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday in Gansu, authorities reported a staggering 113 casualties and 782 injuries, while the neighboring Qinghai province witnessed 18 fatalities and 198 injuries as of 5:30 a.m. on the same day. Rescue operations in Gansu concluded on Tuesday afternoon, with 78 people miraculously found alive. However, the focus shifted towards providing medical attention to the wounded and relocating residents as winter, with its harsh conditions, approached. The situation in Qinghai remained uncertain, with no immediate confirmation on whether the search and rescue efforts had concluded.

The impact of the earthquake was devastating, leaving over 207,000 homes in Gansu destroyed and nearly 15,000 houses collapsed, affecting more than 145,000 individuals. Responding to the crisis, relief efforts delivered over 128,000 emergency supply items, including tents, quilts, tent lights, and folding beds. Additionally, essential food items such as steamed buns and instant noodles were provided to the victims.

Geographically, the earthquake-stricken area represents a challenging transition zone between two plateaus, characterized by altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 4,300 meters (5,906 to 14,108 feet) with complex topography, as reported by CCTV.

Complicating the recovery efforts, a powerful cold snap gripped most of China, bringing temperatures around the epicenter in Gansu down to approximately minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday night. According to local media reports citing researchers, individuals trapped under rubble in sub-zero conditions without assistance face the risk of developing hypothermia and may survive only for five to 10 hours if uninjured.

Survivors’ accounts from the quake-hit areas paint a grim picture of entire villages split by the seismic force, with collapsed buildings and houses. The treacherous conditions forced residents to flee their homes, seeking refuge in hastily erected evacuation camps, with temperatures plummeting to -13 degrees Celsius (8.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.

The severity of the damage was attributed to poor building quality in the affected villages, with many homes being old and constructed from clay, as stated by a director of the Gansu rescue team.

Gansu, situated between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus and bordering Mongolia, represents one of China’s poorest and most ethnically diverse regions. The quake’s epicenter in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, home to various Chinese Muslim groups, adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Chinese authorities reported a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale for the earthquake, while the US Geological Survey recorded a magnitude of 5.9 with a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). Multiple aftershocks, totaling around 10, have been reported by local authorities.

The urgency of rescue efforts is compounded by disrupted power and water supplies across the region, hindering effective response measures. Rescue teams, including thousands of personnel dispatched by Chinese President Xi Jinping, are grappling with sub-zero conditions, with limited time available to save lives.

The tragic event in Gansu and Qinghai is China’s deadliest earthquake since 2014, when a devastating quake in southwestern Yunnan province claimed over 600 lives. The precarious seismic landscape of China, located at the convergence of multiple tectonic plates, underscores the nation’s vulnerability to earthquakes.

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