At least 111 people were killed when an earthquake collapsed buildings in northwest China, state media reported Tuesday, as rescue workers raced to start digging through rubble. About 100 were killed and scores more injured in Gansu province after the strong, shallow tremor struck, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the provincial earthquake relief headquarters. Rescue work was under way early Tuesday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for all-out efforts in the search and relief work as well as ensuring the safety of the survivors and their property. The quake, which was logged as magnitude 5.9 by the US Geological Survey, struck in Gansu near the border with Qinghai, where Haidong is located.
Power and water supplies were disrupted in some local villages, Xinhua said. CCTV showed images of emergency vehicles driving towards the scene with their lights flashing along snow-lined highways. Rescue workers dressed in overalls were pictured shoulder-to-shoulder in the trucks, while other images showed them lining up in ranks to receive instructions. Other clips showed emergency personnel going through debris by torchlight, unfolding orange stretchers for the casualties. Temperatures have plunged to well below freezing across northern China, and footage from one of the worst-hit areas on CCTV showed residents warming themselves by a fire while emergency services set up tents. Fallen ceilings and other debris could be seen in videos posted on social media. Officials launched an emergency response and dispatched rescue personnel to the area just after the quake and provincial leaders were also en route, Xinhua reported. Hu Changsheng, the ruling Communist Party chief of Gansu, and Ren Zhenhe, the governor of Gansu, have rushed to the disaster-hit area to command rescue and relief efforts.