Of the 131 deaths, 113 were registered in Gansu and 18 in Qinghai, collects the state agency Xinhua.
In addition, according to the authorities, there are 980 injured people spread across the two provinces, who also report 16 missing.
Meanwhile, search and rescue efforts continue in low temperatures as relief and reinforcement teams arrive in northwest China to help victims.
The earthquake struck one minute before midnight on Monday, local time (15.59 GMT), on the border between the two aforementioned provinces, with a magnitude of 6.2, and mainly affected the Jishisan Provincein Gansu, and to the city of Haidong, in neighboring Qinghai,
Rescuers are facing a cold snap with temperatures down to 14 degrees below zero, so they are working against the clock in the search for survivors, adding to the difficulties of accessing the terrain, a rugged and mountainous area.
In the meantime, restoration of some of the affected basic services has begun: in Jishisan, 279 of the 314 existing telecommunications stations are operational and 88% of homes have had their electricity supply restoredreports Xinhua.
The earthquake damaged or caused the collapse of more than 155,000 homes and initially affected water, energy, telecommunications and transport services.
Source: El heraldo
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.
