Over 120 People Killed in China After Massive Earthquake

Kedean BrownDecember 19, 2023

(Chinatopix via AP) (Uncredited / Associated Press)

Residents of China’s northwestern province of Gansu woke up to terror just before midnight on Monday, with an estimated 6.2-magnitude earthquake killing over 120 people and injuring more than 700 others.

Reports state that the quake struck the Gansu province near the border with Qinghai and was felt as far away as 350 miles from the epicentre. Residents close to the epicentre, some bare-chested, were forced out of their homes and rushed to the streets into the freezing weather.

The earthquake is reportedly the most powerful to hit the country in nine years and left more than 4,700 homes damaged, disrupted power and water supplies, damaged roads in the region, and triggered landslides.

According to reports, some villages were destroyed during Monday’s quake. One witness compared the tremor to being tossed by surging waves.

Rescue teams were quickly mobilised after the earthquake but were hampered due to the damaged infrastructure and effects of the landslides. Though the disaster has been worsened by the below-freezing conditions in the country, over 300 officers, soldiers, and nearly 1,500 firefighters were mobilised on Tuesday.

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Kedean BrownDecember 19, 2023