At least 127 people have been killed in north-west China in the country’s deadliest earthquake for years. The 6.2 magnitude quake hit mountainous Gansu province around midnight on Monday (16:00 GMT), also shaking neighbouring Qinghai. Fatalities may rise, with more than 700 reported injured in icy conditions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered thousands of rescue crew to the region, among the poorest and most diverse in China. The earthquake is the country’s deadliest since 2014, when more than 600 people were killed by a quake in south-western Yunnan province.
On Tuesday, footage shown on state TV and social media networks showed entire villages split by the quake, as well as collapsed buildings and houses.
Residents who fled their homes were also shown huddling over makeshift fires at hastily erected evacuation camps. Temperatures hit -13C (8.7F) on Tuesday, Chinese media reported.
Survivors said the tremors had felt like “being tossed by surging waves” and recalled rushing out of their apartments.
Credit: bbc.com
