More than a hundred people were killed and hundreds injured in a powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake in rural Gansu province in northwestern China. Rescue teams (maximum rescue operation launched) brave the freezing climate with temperatures below -13°C to search for survivors and pull them from the rubble.
Video: shock moment
The epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu. State news agency Xinhua reported that the earthquake was felt 570 kilometers away. The shock lasted almost 20 seconds; This is an infinity of magnitude.
During rescue efforts in the earthquake zone in Linxia, Gansu, crowds and firefighters worked together to lift stretchers from the rugged mountains and keep the injured warm. pic.twitter.com/8CWi6AlHvd
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) December 19, 2023
Earthquake in China: all live updates
The government sent rescue teams to assist local emergency crews. President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping ordered a “comprehensive” rescue operation. The situation is extremely complex. L.There were power and water outages in some parts of the region. A few hours later, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake was recorded in China’s southern Xinjiang region: It was 2:46 in Italy when the earth shook again.
houses collapsed
The earthquake caused serious damage, causing houses to collapse (at least 4,700 damaged) and people running into the streets to find safety. Due to the damage to the networks, there were electricity and water outages, especially in some remote villages. Temperatures have fallen well below zero in northern China due to an extraordinary wave of bad weather: Footage broadcast by the state CCTV network of one of the worst-hit areas showed residents warming themselves by the fire while emergency services set up the first tents. and other urgent care facilities.
Rescue efforts continue after Gansu earthquake pic.twitter.com/peq0crEOmF
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) December 19, 2023
Gansu authorities appealed on social media for more rescue workers: “The spokesman stated that more than 300 people were urgently needed for search and rescue operations in the wreckage.
Earthquakes are becoming more frequent in China
China is no stranger to strong earthquakes, especially in the southwestern parts of the country where the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the Indian plate. The earthquake in the final hours is likely to be the deadliest to hit China in almost a decade since a 2014 earthquake killed nearly 600 people in the southwestern province of Yunnan. Yunnan’s neighboring province of Sichuan witnessed a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in 2008, killing 90,000 people.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
