5.9 magnitude earthquake jolts China, more than 111 people killed

Strong earthquake tremors were felt in China's Gansu province late Monday night killing at least 111 people and leaving hundreds others injured.

The earthquake struck China's Gansu province and neighboring Qinghai province at midnight on Monday.

According to the China Earthquake Network Center, a mild earthquake occurred in this area at 11:59 pm on Monday night and the epicenter was located at a depth of 10 kilometers from the ground.

Experts said that even a mild earthquake causes huge damage to the infrastructure. State news agency Xinhua said that the earthquake caused a lot of damage including house collapse and people ran into the streets to save themselves.

China's National Commission for Disaster Prevention and Relief and the Ministry of Emergency Management have activated the Level-IV disaster relief emergency. The report said that a working team has been sent to the affected areas to assess the impact of the disaster and provide guidance for local relief operations.

The earthquake, recorded as a 5.9 magnitude by the US Geological Survey, struck Gansu near the border with Qinghai, where Haidong is located. It is about 100 kilometers (60 mi) southwest of Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province.

Qinghai province is adjacent to the Tibet Himalayan region where there is often a risk of earthquakes due to the slipping of continental plates. Government news agency Xinhua quoted eyewitnesses in the area as saying that the earthquake had damaged houses, roads as well as other infrastructure.

According to local meteorological authorities, the mercury may drop to minus 10 degrees Celsius on Tuesday in Jishishan, which is in the grip of severe cold. The provincial fire and rescue department has sent 580 rescue workers, 12 sniffer dogs and more than 10,000 pieces of equipment to the disaster-stricken area.

The Railway Authority has suspended passenger and freight trains in the earthquake-affected area and has ordered a safety check of the railway tracks. Gansu's ruling Communist Party chief Hu Changsheng and Gansu Governor Ren Zhenhe have rushed to the disaster-hit area to take command of rescue and relief efforts. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered to make every possible effort to reduce the number of casualties after the earthquake.

In August this year, an earthquake of 5.4 magnitude occurred in East China, in which 23 people were injured and dozens of buildings collapsed. In September 2022, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Sichuan province, killing about 100 people. In 2008, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake left more than 87,000 people dead or missing, including 5,335 school students.