Beijing [China], December 20 : At least 131 people were killed and hundreds of others wounded following a deadly earthquake of magnitude 6.2 that struck China on Monday, CNN reported, citing the official media.
China's worst earthquake in over a decade struck Jishishan County in Gansu Province late on Monday night, damaging roads, demolishing houses, and cutting off electricity and communication.
Residents ran outside, huddling overnight in the freezing winter cold, as rescuers raced to look for survivors buried under rubble.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the quake in Gansu has left 113 people dead and 772 wounded as of Tuesday morning. Whereas, according to the local authorities in the neighbouring province of Qinghai, 198 people were hurt, 16 of whom are still missing, and 18 people lost their lives, according to CNN.
Tens of thousands of people had to be evacuated when over 15,000 houses fell, according to the state broadcaster.
The rescue work has become difficult due to subzero temperatures, with most of China grappling with below-freezing conditions after a powerful cold wave swept across the country.
On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "all-out efforts" in search and relief operations. Nearly 1,500 firefighters were deployed, with another 1,500 on standby, according to state media. More than 300 officers and soldiers were also mobilised for disaster relief.
China's state planner said it has allocated 250 million yuan (USD 35 million) to assist Gansu and Qinghai provinces.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.2, according to state news agency Xinhua. It struck at 23:59 pm (15:59 GMT) on Monday in Gansu province, near the border with Qinghai, causing significant damage, according to state media reports.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor