Beijing, Dec 19 (EFE).- The Chinese government allocated 200 million yuan ( $28 million) on Tuesday towards rescue and relief efforts a day after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook the country’s Gansu and Qinghai provinces, leaving at least 116 dead.
A view of houses damaged by earthquake at Chenjia Village in Jishishan Bao’an, Dongxiang, Sala Autonomous County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, China, 19 December 2023. EFE-EPA/XINHUA/Ma Xiping CHINA OUT/UK AND IRELAND OUT/MANDATORY CREDIT EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Of that amount, 150 million yuan ($21 million) will be used to help the northwest Gansu, while the other 50 million ($7 million) will go to Qinghai, state agency Xinhua reported, quoting the emergency management and finance ministeries.
An aerial photo shows rescuers in operation at Dahe Village of Dahejia Township in Jishishan Bao’an, Dongxiang, Salar Autonomous County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, China, 19 December 2023. EFE-EPA/XINHUA/Zhang Rui CHINA OUT/UK AND IRELAND OUT/MANDATORY CREDIT EDITORIAL USE ONLY
At least 105 people died and more than 200 were injured during Monday’s earthquake, according to the latest official count.
A person injured in an earthquake receives treatment at a hospital in Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County of Haidong City, Qinghai Province, China, 19 December 2023. EFE-EPA/XINHUA/Zhang Hongxiang CHINA OUT/UK AND IRELAND OUT/MANDATORY CREDIT EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Another 11 people died in Qinghai province, taking the total number of fatalities to 116.
The earthquake was recorded at 11:59 pm on Monday night and had its epicenter 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep on the border between the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
The Chinese government and the ministry of emergency management announced a level II response to the incident, which particularly affected the county of Jishisan in Gansu and the city of Haidong in the neighboring Qinghai.
The Chinese government has sent 1,440 firefighters to the area to support the response to the disaster, and another 1,603 from the affected region and neighboring provinces are mobilized to travel if necessary, state-run newspaper China Daily reported.
Water, power, communications, and transportation networks have been damaged, according to local media reports.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged everyone to spare no effort in the search and rescue efforts, as well as in providing care to the victims.
Another earthquake of 5.5-magnitude was recorded in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, also in the northwest, around the same time, but no casualties was reported. EFE
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