A devastating magnitude-6.2 earthquake struck one of China's impoverished regions just before midnight on Monday, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 127 lives, with hundreds more injured. The earthquake's epicenter was located in Gansu province, in the northwestern part of the country. Upon arrival at the affected areas, Chinese state media discovered that many houses, particularly those constructed from clay and earth, were either on the verge of collapse or had already crumbled to the ground. The destruction of over 155,000 homes in Gansu further highlights the extent of the disaster in one of China's poorest provinces.
The earthquake occurred at 11:59 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located in Jishishan county, Gansu province, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The region shares a provincial border with Qinghai, where strong tremors were also felt. The impact of the earthquake resulted in widespread damage to roads, infrastructure, landslides, and even the submersion of an entire village in silt. However, rescue efforts have been significantly hindered by freezing temperatures, as a powerful cold snap has swept across the country.
Gansu province, situated on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, is prone to earthquakes. In recent history, the deadliest quake to strike China occurred in 2008 in Sichuan, claiming the lives of nearly 70,000 people. As of Tuesday afternoon, the death toll in Gansu stood at 113, with 536 reported injuries. In Qinghai, 14 fatalities were recorded along with 198 injuries. Around 20 individuals remain missing, sparking an urgent need for rescue operations.
Emergency responses have been mobilized to aid the affected areas. The Gansu provincial fire department, forest brigade, and professional emergency rescue teams, totaling over 2,200 personnel, have been dispatched to the disaster zone. Moreover, the military and police have also joined the efforts. The provincial government has allotted 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) for emergency response efforts, which includes the provision of essential supplies such as tents, beds, quilts, mattresses, and stoves.
However, rescue operations face numerous challenges due to the harsh conditions in the high-altitude region. The cold weather poses serious risks to trapped survivors as the time to rescue them is shortened. In addition to the threat to human lives, infrastructure such as water, electricity, transportation, and communication networks have been severely damaged. Multiple landslides have also inflicted damage on highways and rural roads.
Notably, a major hydropower dam near the epicenter was unaffected by the earthquake and continues to operate normally. This offers some respite amidst the destruction. In Qinghai, where a mudslide half-covered many houses, search and rescue teams have employed drones, excavators, and bulldozers to locate and save survivors. The tremors of the earthquake were even felt as far as 1,000 km away in Henan province, where alarmed residents sought safety outdoors.
Preliminary analysis suggests that the earthquake was a thrust-type rupture, one of the three such events of magnitudes above 6 to occur within 200 km of the epicenter since 1900. Following the initial quake, at least 32 aftershocks were recorded within an hour. Local officials in Gansu reported that the last significant earthquake within 100 km of the epicenter took place in 2019, with at least magnitude 5.0 intensity. By Tuesday morning, nine aftershocks measuring magnitude 3.0 and above were recorded, with two of them exceeding a magnitude of 4.0.
In a separate incident, an earthquake with a magnitude of approximately 5.5 struck Xinjiang region, approximately 3,000 km away from Jishishan, on Tuesday morning. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported thus far.
As the affected regions face the daunting task of recovering from the devastation caused by the earthquake, the priority remains on locating any remaining survivors and providing necessary aid to those affected by the disaster.